


Reversed Pathology

by CelestialNova27



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Adult Situations, Character Death, Death, Gore, Lemon, Multi, Rape, Swearing, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-30
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:14:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 15
Words: 68,764
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22475419
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CelestialNova27/pseuds/CelestialNova27
Summary: When Tifa was 10 years old, she was forced out of Midgar to Edge, a city filled with toxic, negativity, betrayal, scheme, and cruelty. As part of a peace treaty, she is to wed Prince Vincent Valentine. Over the years, the royal pair grows weary of the road they were destined to follow, and together, creates a new road. But no one said it was going to be easy.
Relationships: Grimoire Valentine/Original Character(s), Tifa Lockhart/Vincent Valentine
Kudos: 15





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story is an original post on FF.net from my account. It is still ongoing on that website so if you would like to get further ahead with the story, I recommend going there.

Angry footsteps echoes in the castle as a young man rushed down the hall. As usual, arguments followed by multiples kisses, followed by more arguments are the start of his day. His queen is being difficult, which is also customary to his morning. The young man shoves one of his servants as he turns the hallway swiftly. The servant, looking back with an angry, confused look upon his face, continues walking towards his destination. The young man went into his private chambers and slams the door behind him. Snatching his cape away from his back, the young man throws the material on the floor. The sun peers inside the chambers beautifully. The sky is clear; a perfect day for gardening. Several servants and gardeners are moving about planting and gathering fruits and vegetables. There is a chocobo stable a few yards from the garden, all of which are adorned by the castle's crest, a purple-like creature that had orange-like mane going from the top of its head and stopped midway followed by a blend of orange and red fangs, that's centered of the rose gold armor. All of the chocobos are gold, black, and white.

There are also several merchants coming in and out of the castle bringing supplies and food. A sound comes from the double doors. The young king doesn't even bother to turn to see who entered his chambers unannounced. There's only one person that's allowed to come into his chambers unannounced. One would think that person would be his queen, but that would be inaccurate. The young man looks into the window to see an older man looking back at him with a frustrated expression.

"Say what you will, but don't forget, I am your king."

The older man sighs. "You bore me with your so called threats. Care to explain to me why I hear the queen is brokenhearted and crying?"

The king snorts. Of course the queen cried and made a scene. She is simply looking for sympathy because her king doesn't have an ounce of compassion towards her. The older man sighs at the young man's actions. He'd seen this behavior before; young men who were named king at an early age and let the power corrupt their hearts. He has been around the world, traveling from castle to castle, for a little over eight decades to see each ruler repeat the same pathology, none of them being able to break the never-ending behavior, except for one. It was arduous task at first but eventually, the king and queen were able to agree on some sort of common ground. As one of the eldest members inside the castle, it is the older man's duty to make sure the terror stops permanently.

"My Lord, surely you must know what you are doing is wrong."

The young man turns and glares at the elder man. "You dare question my actions, Ramuh?"

Ramuh sighs, moving towards the young man. Like many rulers before him, they were all fed the same lecture on being king. Ramuh motions for the king to sit. The young man obliges but with the glare still remains on his face.

"My Lord, you must apologize to her. Do you dare disappoint your nation?"

The young man is on the verge of yelling at the elder for questioning him but stops when the elder man mentions his nation. He knows what the elder man really means behind his words. It is a touchy subject for the young king. He quickly gets up and looks out of the window, observing the servants and merchants move about. The older man waits for his king's reply. The king looks at Ramuh's reflection for a second before turning towards Ramuh to give him his undivided attention.

"What are they like?"

Ramuh chuckles a little at the young king's curiosity. He sits on the bed and begins telling the tale of the one king and queen that defied the typical, harsh laws that they were destined to follow, in hopes their successors, and other royal figures around Gaia, would follow the same path.

* * *

The flames illuminates the small, private chamber belonging to a short-haired girl. The chamber is decorated in pink. Teddy bears are perfectly lined up against the window on the window pane. Dolls are scattered about on the floor. The girl and three of her favorite adult-sized dolls are at a table with a porcelain tea set in front of her. Unlike most girls' tea parties, the girl has actual tea. She brings a cup carefully to one of her teddy bears, but quickly places it back down when she hears hurried footsteps approaching her room.

A woman with long blonde hair braided to the side burst into the chambers with a worried expression on her face. She snaps her head at the girl, who also has a worried expression. The blonde quickly closes the door and locks it. She quickly runs over to the bed and start to grab several articles of clothing and using the bed sheet she roughly snatches away from the bed as a travel bag. The girl runs over to the window and sees several men on chocobos approaching the castle.

"Mommy, what's going on?" The girl questions.

"There's no time to explain." The blonde panics. She throws the sheet over her back and rushes over to the girl. "We must get to the main hall, sweetie."

"Why?" The girl doesn't understand what's going on.

The mother replies with a swift push, urging the girl to move forward. The girl reluctantly follows her mother's orders and walks towards the main hall. As the pair approaches the main hall, the mother's anxiety is beginning to go into overdrive. She should have been a proper mother and told her daughter that her fate to leave Midgar was coming soon instead of waiting until the very last second. They arrive in the main hall and the girl immediately runs to her father.

"Father!" The girl hugs her father tightly. "Why is Mommy acting strange?"

The father snaps his head towards the mother, who tries to swallow away the lump that's forming inside her throat. "You didn't tell her?"

"What was I supposed to say?!"

The front doors opens before the argument could escalate further. A tall, slender man walks inside the hall along with a brunette woman at his side, both adorning rose gold crowns. The man slowly stands from his throne, with his frightened wife and child next to him.

"I can see your daughter is ill prepared." The slender man notes as he sees the child's frightened face.

"Yes, well, my wife just informed me that she hasn't informed my daughter." The man glares at his queen and then looks at the slender man. "However, we must fulfill the treaty between Midgar and Edge."

"That is correct." The slender rubs his hands together and then claps them together. "So? Shall we get down to business?"

"Father, what's happening?"

The girl's question goes unanswered as her father guides the guests to a small section that has a table, ink feather, and parchment. Frighten wine-colored eyes meets bright cerulean eyes that are now filling with tears. Her mother knells in front of her and places her hands on her daughter's small, slumped shoulders.

"Honey, you have to leave for Edge." Her mother's tone is firm.

"Why? Why do I have to go Mother?" Tears starts to fall freely from her eyes.

"We have a peace treaty with Edge and part of the agreement of peace was…" Her mother hesitates and glances at her king, who is now writing on a piece of parchment. The king of Edge is looking over at her with a smirk on his face. She quickly turns away and turns her attention back to her daughter. "For you to rule Edge." Her mother finishes her sentence.

The girl's eyes widens. "Mommy, I'm not old enough to be a queen! I wanna stay here and be with you and Father!"

"Hush child with all that sadness." Her father yells over to her. "You are going to be a queen, like it or not. You are bounded until death."

"No! I don't want to!"

"It's not about what you want to do! You have no choice in this matter!" Her father bellows.

"How dare you talk to her that way!" Her mother stands firmly, a mistake she will soon learn from. Her king glares at her. His hand connects to her right cheek leaving a red mark on her face.

"How dare you defy me in front of our guests?" Her king grits. "How quickly you forget, you are expendable."

The king turns to his guests and smiles. "Well, now that the signatures are taken care of, I think it's time to go."

The girl's sobs are getting louder and louder as her mother hands her things over to the king of Edge. Her father knells in front of her and shakes his head. "You need to stop crying, grow up, and be the queen you are destined to be."

"But I don't wanna be queen of Edge, Father! I wanna be queen of Midgar and stay here with you!"

"In order to keep the peace between the two nations, you must go and you will go. You have no other option." Her father replies rather harshly.

All of the young girl's personal belongings are slowly being carried out by the servants of the castle. Her mother starts to have a nervous breakdown as she hands the bed sheet to the Queen of Edge. The King of Midgar rolls his eyes, sighing at the pathetic scene. The queen hugs her daughter one last time before walking her over to the queen of Edge.

"Take care of her."

"She will be a proper ruler." The queen replies sweetly.

The girl frowns at the queen and looks at her mother. Her mother shakes her head sorrowfully and gazes at her king. The King of Midgar motions for his daughter to leave the main hall. The Queen of Edge grabs the girl's hand but the girl snatches her hand away. She pleas with her mother and father, begging them to not allow these strange rulers take her to Edge. Her father keeps saying you have to go, while the mother cries. Her father yells at the two of them, disgusted with their behavior. Kings and queens shouldn't act in this manner. Her father pushes the girl into the Queen of Edge's arms, demanding they ensure that his daughter will be a proper ruler.

The crying and shouting is heard clearly as the king and queen of Edge practically drags the girl away from her parents. The girl's pleas didn't cease, though she knows they are feeble. The king lifts the girl up and put her inside the carriage, commanding his queen to get in and settle the child. With one more respectable bow to the king and queen of Midgar, the King of Edge gets into the carriage and the chocobo tamer commands the chocobo to move, carrying in the trio in tow.

The girl's cries slowly halts as she realizes that this is her destiny. She looks at the woman who is now going to look after her, along with the man. She is merely a ten year-old girl. How can she be queen of a nation she has no knowledge of? Midgar is her nation, the nation she lived in since birth. How could her mother and father give her up so easily? She wipes away the tears that fills her eyes, turns around, and sticks her head cautiously out of the carriage at Midgar. She knows she would probably never see the nation again.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Tifa was 10 years old, she was forced out of Midgar to Edge, a city filled with toxic, negativity, betrayal, scheme, and cruelty. As part of a peace treaty, she is to wed Prince Vincent Valentine. Over the years, the royal pair grows weary of the road they are destined to follow, and together, creates a new road. But no one said it's going to be easy...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is an original post on FF.net from my account. It is still ongoing on that website so if you would like to get further ahead with the story, I recommend going there.

The gold chocobo finally slows its pace. The young brunette wakes up to see two semi unfamiliar faces looking at her. She hides her expression away from the adults as the thoughts of past events starts to rush through her head. She pokes her head out of the carriage and couldn't stop the amused tone from escaping her small, thin lips. The castle is made in marble and it separates in four large sections. On one end of the courtyard, there are several chocobos stables. On the opposite side, there is a garden and a small section for merchants to come and go inside the castle. There are women carrying large pots, baskets, and other goods on top of their heads. Each knight's armor is adorning a crest, a red-winged dragon with several deadly-looking fangs inside its mouth and a gold-like under carriage. The beast appears to be dragon.

In the middle of the courtyard, there is a large fountain. There's a girl standing by it with her eyes shut. Moments later, she tosses a coin inside the fountain and walks away. The chocobo stops momentarily and continues its path after its tamer instructs it to move. The knights and chocobos appears to be stronger than the ones in Midgar. There is another small section where knights are practicing their swords arts. Amazing is simply an understatement to describe the castle. Though the girl was snatched away from her true kingdom, she couldn't help but to admire the architecture of Edge.

"You're going to rule this kingdom one day." The queen spoke.

The girl sits comfortably inside and looks at the queen, who gives the child a small smile. The girl steals a glance at the king, who's busy writing something on a piece of parchment.

"What's your name?" The queen spoke again.

The girl gnaws on her lips before responding. She isn't sure she should answer the woman's question.

"Apparently you're not aware of the rules here in Edge." The king spoke in a harsh tone. The girl jumps in fear. He tears his eyes away from the parchment. "When someone asks you a question, you answer. You may be the heir to Edge but don't let that go to your head. You are to obey us. Now, what is your name?"

"T….Tifa." The girl mumbles.

"Well then Tifa." The queen spoke. "I'm Katherine and this is Grimoire." Katherine points to Grimoire, who is writing again on the parchment he previously tended to before turning harsh on the small child. "You may be a child now, but with our help, you'll be the perfect woman and queen."

"And wife." Grimoire adds as he places his quill feather into a small box that's located to his left. Tifa frowns. She doesn't understand. Her being married at such a young age? Could such a thing be possible?

"I'm sorry, sir. I don't understand."

The king sighs. What the hell did her mother and father teach the child in front of him? How is it possible that the ten year-old girl doesn't know anything about proper etiquette and respect? "Do you know anything child?"

Tifa flinches away. The king's harsh behavior is beginning to make her feel uneasy. "In order to be a queen, you must marry someone in line for the throne as well. My son is supposed to rule and you will serve him as his queen."

A protest is close from escaping the girl's lips, but Katherine quickly covers her mouth. She could already see that several lectures are going to be needed in order to save the child's hide. It's evident that her parents, from what she observes, her mother, more specifically, didn't educate this child the ways of being a woman in royalty. Grimoire observes the child as well. He hopes he has made the right choice in choosing this child for his son instead of another princess.

The chocobo finally makes a complete stop and the trio gets outside of the carriage. The girl carefully follows behind King Grimoire with Queen Katherine at his side. She doesn't know what to expect. Never in her life had she experience such disrespect and verbal abuse. For as long as she could remember, her mother and father were kind to her. Her father would often tell her what defines man and how a man should act towards her. The behavior between the king and queen of Edge has shown her that things are different here. It would be a while before old habits died. Grimoire, Katherine, and Tifa walks through the main entrance of the castle. They are greeted by people whose armor is garnished by the same crest the knights has on their armor outside. To Tifa, all of the men looks the same, except for one.

Bright red eyes, long raven hair, tall, slender but muscular catches Tifa's wine-colored eyes. He couldn't have been the same age like the other men who surrounded the king. The man looks at her in what appears to be confusion. She bites her lips and shields away from his gaze. Mere seconds later, she glances at him to get a better look. His long red, tattered cape hung low and has a small trail of dust at the edges of it. His armor is rose gold and has the same crest on it. Half of his face is covered by the cowl of his cape that's fastened by several buckles around his chest area. The king dismisses everyone except for the young man that caught her attention.

"I see you've noticed your soon-to-be-wife." Grimoire smirks when he sees the surprised look upon his son's face.

The young man expected the girl to be older. When he was told he was to wed a young lady, didn't know that the term 'lady' was just a fabrication of the term 'child'.

"She's very young but with your strength combined with your mother's teachings, she will walk the path with you in supporting you while you rule Edge."

The young man nods, and Grimoire lets out a hardy laugh. Tifa is frightened, and she doesn't know what to expect from this young man. If he truly is the king's son, then she would live in fear for the rest of her life. A man with long white hair wearing a gold robe approaches the royal pair. He bows in regard to the four of them and smiles after he bows respectfully towards Tifa.

"I see our future queen has arrived." Tifa doesn't sense any danger from the older man. She remembers what the king had said to her on her way inside the castle. She doesn't want to be yelled at again.

"Yes sir." Tifa replies with a smile.

"At least she's a fast learner." Grimoire growls. "Well, we must start preparations. Katherine, give this clueless child basic etiquette. Ramuh, arrange for the caregivers to get her measurements and dress. We have a wedding to prepare for."

They both bow before going down the hall. The king turns and leaves, leaving the future rulers alone in the corridor. Glancing at the old man named Ramuh, and the Queen of Edge, Katherine, talking to people to arrange her wedding, the child once again glances at her soon-to-be-husband. He too also stares down the hall but with an expression the girl couldn't quite pinpoint. It looks as though worry brims the young man's eyes followed by anger with a hint of confusion. He turns on his heel and begins walking in the same direction his father did.

"Hi." The young man turns to see the child gnawing at her bottom lip. "I'm Tifa. I….I don't know what's going on….but..." She pauses and looks down at her feet.

"But?" The young man pushes.

"But I don't know what to do."

The young man sighs. "Just do what you're told for now."

The tone in the young man's voice is soft with a hint of harshness though Tifa doesn't dare complain. She would take this kind of treatment over Grimoire's any time of the day. The girl cheers up a little and has finally mustered up enough courage to look at the young man again, his crimson eyes are fixed on her.

"Thank you for not being so mean to me. I miss my mommy."

The young man feels sorry for the child. She was ripped away from her home in Midgar, only to come to a place that's tainted with a lot of anger and animosity. He could tell the child isn't used to such treatment.

"You can't go back. The best thing you can do is forget about it and move on." Tifa's eyes are saddened by his harsh, yet honest, words. "In time, you will learn how to cope with such devastation."

"Wait! What's your name?" The young man turns on his heel again but stops when Tifa calls after him. He turns just enough to see her small, short, and petite frame.

"Vincent. Vincent Valentine."

Tifa watches Vincent's red cape sway as he turns and walks down the corridor.

Minutes later, Tifa is surrounded by several caregivers. They are taking her measurements and writing down numbers on parchments, and talks to each other about which fabric would be best and relaying measurements to one another. One of the ladies is browsing through several materials that would look nice on her. Another lady is going through another fabric that's foreign to the girl. Katherine snaps her fingers, in an effort to hurry the ladies along with their given tasks. After thirty minutes of constant trying on different fabrics, and having tape measurements on her body, Tifa is finally able to relax.

"Don't get too comfortable, child." Katherine sits next to Tifa as Tifa straightens her posture. "I can already see that your parents have given you a sheltered lifestyle." When Tifa replies with a confused expression, Katherine continues her rambling. "In other words, your parents didn't teach you how to be a proper queen."

"My father taught me loads of stuff about a man and what defines a man."

It's Katherine's turn to reply with a confused expression. "Explain."

"Father always told me that if a man doesn't treat you right, then he isn't worth having."

Katherine has an idea of what the child is talking about but wants to be sure in case she's wrong. If her guess is correct, then she would have to take necessary action to alter these mannerisms and fast. The girl continues when Katherine didn't speak.

"He also told me that a man who truly loves you is willing to go through anything for you. And-

Her head snaps quickly to the right and she holds her cheek and drew circles on it to slowly soothe it, easing it from the fiery pain she now feels. She glances at Katherine, whose eyes are now filled with anger and astonishment. She points her index finger in the girl's face, while talking in a murderous tone.

"A woman who questions and displeases her husband, especially someone in your position, will be beheaded. No more of this fantasy life your parents painted for you. If it's the last thing I do, I'll be sure those false dreams are completely wiped away from your brain." Tifa nods slowly as hot tears runs down her face. Ramuh walks into the room, feeling the uneasiness that's in the room. He looks at the pair and sadly shakes his head. The poor child is learning the ways of life and royalty the hard way. He informs Katherine that Grimoire and Vincent are waiting for them inside the ballroom, bows his head, and leaves the room. The door closes quietly behind Ramuh, leaving Katherine to deal with Tifa.

"Now, if you want to be treated correctly you must follow the rules that I teach you." When Tifa nods her head slowly, Katherine starts drilling the poor child about the ways of men and women. All the rules keeps pouring into her head nonstop. She doesn't dare let any information seep out. Between the information and the 'fantasy life' her mother and father created, she wonders which side is true. Edge is simply a kingdom she doesn't want to be a part of. For now, she will dance to their rules, but when the time is right, she will plan her escape. A child she may be, but an intelligent, independent individual she will grow into eventually.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Tifa was 10 years old, she was forced out of Midgar to Edge, a city filled with toxic, negativity, betrayal, scheme, and cruelty. As part of a peace treaty, she is to wed Prince Vincent Valentine. Over the years, the royal pair grows weary of the road they were destined to follow, and together, creates a new road. But no one said it wasn't going to be easy...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is an original post on FF.net from my account. It is still ongoing on that website so if you would like to get further ahead with the story, I recommend going there.

Katherine walks inside of the main ballroom. Everything is to her liking. The marble floors and pillars are waxed to perfection. The flowers that she demanded are bloomed to perfection and is placed nicely on the table at the back of the room. Edge's crest along with red and gold curtains and shimmers are hanging from the ceiling. She glances at the feast, and makes sure that every dish is on the table. She sees Grimoire talking to some young woman. The way he looks at her is the way he used to look at her when they were younger. Katherine was also torn away from her family and was forced to marry Grimoire. Of course, she was against the idea, but weeks after her arrival in Edge, she had come to trust Grimoire. But now, she sees through Grimoire's words and lies. He seduced her and now treats her like common dust on the floors. She may be a queen, a married one at that, but that doesn't stop her husband from wondering around. She would feel a little better if there are several mistresses but there's only one. She's also aware of his many concubines. Concubines are a different matter, though.

She smiles brightly at him, her red lipstick and white teeth are bright against the flames in the room. Cissnei, is her name. Her orange-brownish hair is wavy and went well with her gold, valor, strapless dress. Grimoire whispers something to her before leaving and walking towards Katherine, who quickly turns her head and pretends not to see the flirting.

"Is that damned child ready?"

"Yes. I had to discipline her, but I think she'll be fine." Katherine turns her attention to her husband.

"I hope for your sake she will."

Katherine casts her eyes back to the table, refusing to look him in the eyes. "Did you teach her about tonight's procedure?"

She snaps her head towards Grimoire in sheer shock. "Surely you don't expect the child to go through that do you?"

Grimoire raises his eyebrow. "How can she be a queen if she doesn't submit to my son?"

Katherine is at a lost. Grimoire huffs and walks away from his wife. He figured she would leave out such an important piece out of the lecture. Despite Katherine being a queen, she's a woman, a woman who holds several emotions. Grimoire shakes his head in disgust, not understanding the simplicity of tenderness and kindness. He was once like that towards Katherine, but that was only to secure his spot as a king. A king is nothing without his queen. If a queen were to roam and disobey her king, it shows the weakness and lack of leadership from the king. If he couldn't control the one woman that should obey and give in to his every command, he couldn't control a nation. Some kings would behead their queens if they were to commit adultery. Like his father, and his father's father, Grimoire seduced his way into Katherine's good graces and he expects his son to do the same.

He reaches his son's chambers and invites himself inside without permission from Vincent. His crimson eyes meets his son's crimson eyes as his son adjusts his cape. The red cape is temporarily replaced with a red, gold, and white one.

"You look like a great heir, son." Vincent nods in regard to his father's compliment. "I've come to tell you that tonight's consummation will be rather difficult."

Vincent raises his brows. "What do you mean?"

"Your mother failed to inform her." Grimoire replies in a disgusted tone. "It's nothing really but I guess for the sake of not traumatizing the child too much, go easy, but just this once."

When Vincent doesn't reply, Grimoire continues. "Be in the ballroom in thirty minutes. Your wife awaits you."

Grimoire leaves the room. As soon as he left, Vincent releases his sigh. Why would his father even think of something like that? She's just a child; a ten year-old girl that is innocent to the world. Grimoire noticed how Vincent flinched when mentioned the consummation. As Vincent got older, he noticed his son's hesitation toward certain situations and decisions he had made in the past. Thankfully, for Vincent's sake, Vincent never questioned anything. Vincent's curiosity was expected by Grimoire; he did the same thing when his father was ruling the throne. But Vincent knew better not to question Grimoire's actions. Until he dies, Grimoire is the king, and even though Vincent is next in line to take the throne, he must obey his king. In Grimoire's mind, he's a king before he's a father.

* * *

The ballroom is set and ready to go. Katherine sits on Grimoire's lap and they are seated on Grimoire's throne. There's a harp player playing a soft tune to set the mood. Servants and knights knells down as their prince walks down the aisle. Grimoire smiles proudly at his son. Vincent nods toward Ramuh, who will finalize the young man's marriage, just like he had done with Grimoire and Katherine's wedding. Vincent nods in regard to his mother and father and takes a stance on Ramuh's right side. Tifa peeks down the aisle before taking a peek at herself. She has on a long white, strapless dress with long-sleeved lace on her upper body. She has on a long gold veil with Edge's crest in the center of the gold band that kept the fabric of the veil together. She wished her mother and father were here to see this occasion. She always envisioned her parents on the side smiling at her and her husband. But those days were long gone, and she has to accept that fact.

Tifa waits for her cue from the harp player to start walking down. When she hears the tune, she takes a deep breath and begins walking slowly down the aisle, just like she was told. Katherine relaxes her body when she sees Tifa following her exact orders. Grimoire nods in approval of both Tifa's appearance and behavior and gives Katherine a small squeeze.

"You did well." He whispers in her ear and gives her a light kiss on her cheek.

She smiles toward him and does the same gesture, stealing a peek at Cissnei, who stares intently at the queen. Katherine smirks wickedly at the young brunette. She quickly turns her attention to Tifa, who is almost where Ramuh and Vincent stood.

She stops when she finally makes it in front of the pair. She refuses to look up until she's told otherwise. According to Katherine, it is a sign of respect.

"Tifa Alexia Lockhart, raise your head and face your future king."

Tifa obeys Ramuh's command and looks into Vincent's eyes. It appears he's thinking about something, but she doesn't have a chance to wonder on the subject because Ramuh speaks again.

"Walk in front of him and bow down."

Swallowing away a lump, Tifa walks slowly in front of Vincent and is now on Ramuh's left side. Instead of bowing, she knells. She feels the shift in the tension in the room and wondered did she make a mistake. Katherine inaudibly nods, delighted that the girl heeded her words.

" _What did Katherine do to this poor child?"_ Ramuh thought before he continuing onward with the procedure. "Extend your hand to the man in front of you and state your oath."

Without looking up, Tifa extends her left hand slowly toward Vincent. He notices the nervousness of the child, noting the thin layer of sweat on the child's hand. When Katherine was drilling Tifa about the rules, she neglected to tell her about an oath. Tifa is at a lost, and Grimoire picks up on it. He frowns at Tifa's hesitation and slowly turns his head to Katherine, who is now showing fear. She hope to Gaia Tifa would come up with something and fast.

"I, Tifa Alexia Lockhart, promise to serve, honor, and obey Vincent Felix Valentine. It is an honor to be your future queen, my Lord. I promise to stand by you no matter what may come in the future. Please my Lord, make me your queen and wife."

Grimoire, Katherine, and even Vincent are all surprised by Tifa's oath. Perhaps Grimoire was a little too harsh on the child. She may be oblivious to the way things are done in Edge but she isn't stupid. Within a few days, she'll be able to learn how to live up to his standards.

Vincent takes her hand. "You are a brave child for making such a dedication to me. I accept your oath. Rise and face me so the privilege of being my wife and queen may be bestowed upon you."

Tifa looks up before rising slowly to her feet, never once blinking nor tearing her eyes away from Vincent's. He could tell she's scared, and for a ten year-old girl, she masks her fear very well. Her hand tremble fiercely in his hand. The sight is truly horrendous.

"The oath has been accepted." Ramuh clarifies and everyone in the ballroom claps and hollers in a congratulatory way.

A knight with silver hair held a book in front of Vincent with an inked quill in his other hand. Vincent grabs the quill and signs his name on the line. The knight then holds the book in front of Tifa, and she too did the same, never letting go of Vincent's hand. Even though he is his father's son, she feels at ease whenever he's around. It isn't a lot but any positive energy in this castle helps Tifa come to terms with everything. When she's done, Ramuh continues his speech once the crowd's clapping had died down.

"You two are now bonded to each other as husband and wife. Lord Vincent, you've stated in front of your peers, and King Grimoire and Queen Katherine that you've taken Tifa Alexia Lockhart as your future queen and wife. Finalize your decision."

Vincent nods and turns his attention toward Tifa. He looks into her wine-colored eyes and sees that fear again. He places both his hands on her shoulder before slowly bringing his lips to hers. Grimoire and Katherine are the first to stand and clap in triumph at their son, followed by everyone else. A mere second before Vincent pulls away, Tifa gives in a little and kisses Vincent back. When he pulls away, he looks at her in confusion, and that makes her hang her head low. He knew the girl is only doing what she's told and she 'kissed' him, for lack of a better term, because she's terrified of what would happen to her if she doesn't. In Vincent's mind, he couldn't believe he kissed the child as if she's his age. He masks his disgust in himself for doing such a thing. His reign and marriage will be difficult.

Tifa never lets go of Vincent's hand, even when they begin walking toward the table where all the food is at. He feels the slight vibrations coming from the girl's hand. He looks down at her and sighs. He couldn't help but shudder at the feeling that he is going to be the reason why this girl's life will slowly diminish.

* * *

Vincent and his mentor are walking toward a room Vincent dreads to enter. The two men have been silent since his guardian had come to get Vincent from his personal chambers.

"Are you actually going through with this?" The silver haired man asks, breaking the painful they've been experiencing since the walk.

Emerald eyes are fixed on Vincent's pale face. The young prince darts his crimson eyes on the silver-haired man. "What do you think?"

"It doesn't matter what I think. What matters are your actions."

"This has been heavy on my mind since the child walked in." Vincent had a hard time dealing with the events that had happened since earlier today.

"Not just a child, a child who is also your wife." The silver-haired man corrects.

"When I want your sarcasm, I'll ask for it, Sephiroth. Until then, keep it to yourself."

"….."

The pair stays quiet until they reach their destination. Vincent places his hands on the handle but is stopped by Sephiroth.

"Vincent, I've known you since I've sworn to protect you since you were a mere child yourself. I know you better than your mother and father, and whether you want to admit it or not, I know that you know that this is wrong."

Only Sephiroth is able to get away with talking to Vincent in such a manner. Sephiroth is a true and dear friend to Vincent, and unbeknownst to Grimoire, Vincent values Sephiroth's friendship and loyalty. When Grimoire took the throne, Edge was swarming with fiends. Being king, he had to command a lot of attacks in order to protect the kingdom. Sephiroth is a skilled knight who mastered swordsmanship easily. Grimoire made Sephiroth guard Vincent during those dark times, and continues to do his duty as Vincent's guardian, despite Vincent being a skilled gunman, which is very rare, and an seventeen year-old prince. Now that Vincent is much older, Sephiroth serves as Vincent's mentor and commander of the army.

Vincent avoids Sephiroth's emerald slits. He pulls the door open without a word to the silver-haired man and enters the room. Ramuh, Grimoire, and Katherine stood respectfully on the sides of the bed. Everyone nods toward each other in regards and respect. Tifa sits on the bed with fear in her eyes as she sees her husband stand in front of the bed with the silver-haired man at his right side she saw earlier at the wedding ceremony. She doesn't want them to see her fear so she casts her glance downwards.

Vincent takes in a deep breath as he signals for Sephiroth's assistance. Sephiroth glares at Vincent, without Grimoire and Katherine seeing, as he begins to shed away Vincent's armor and upper clothing, which leaves Vincent topless. Vincent is slim but he's muscular due to his intense training with a gun and occasionally with a sword. He crawls slowly onto the bed and makes Tifa look at him.

She wants to scream but she knew things would only worsen. She pleads with Vincent, not to take her without any words being spoken. She doesn't even want to begin to think what would happen to her. As for Vincent, he's conflicted. She is a child but his wife nonetheless. His marriage to her must be completed, by Grimoire's standards and personal definition, but deep down he knows this isn't right, and if he doesn't go through with this, his father would be displeased, and he would suffer consequences. Without thinking too much, he reaches behind Tifa to unfasten her dress.

Tifa fought hard to contain her sobs. She covers her mouth with her hand in case any noise slips through her lips. Sephiroth slightly shakes his head and steals a glance from Ramuh, who also doesn't like what he's seeing. He simply looks down, refusing to see the young prince deflower the child. Once the ribbons are unfasten, Vincent grabs the hem on each side but stops when he looks into Tifa's eyes again. He looks at himself through her tear-filled eyes, and he quickly looks down. This young girl is fighting so hard to contain her tears and sobs. She doesn't comprehend what's happening to her but she knows something bad is happening. Vincent is practically ripping this girl's virginity away from her. Beside what little dignity she has left, her virginity is all that she has. It's bad enough he stole this girl's life; he doesn't want to steal her sexual innocence.

He releases the fabric, and stares her in the eyes. "Sephiroth will show you where you'll be sleeping at. Eventually, we'll share chambers."

Tifa is relieved that she's spared and so are Sephiroth and Ramuh. Both men looks at each other for a split second and then toward their young prince with a new respect for him.

"After you've completed the consummation." Grimoire growls.

Katherine gasps and takes several steps back away from her husband. She's grateful that he's too pissed to notice her movements. Vincent shakes his head and continues to look at Tifa.

"I've signed my name and accepted her oath. The ceremony is completed, father."

"No it isn't!"

Vincent doesn't have time to react to his father's harshness. His body is pressed violently against Tifa's. The unexpected force had forced her onto her back with Vincent on top of her. The fear rushes her without warning.

"You will take her! It's part of the ritual." Grimoire shoves Vincent's body more into Tifa's, causing the child to yelp and Vincent to wince.

"She's just a child!" Vincent hisses. "I can't do something like this towards her!"

"She's not here to take your pity. She's here to listen and fulfill your every command." Vincent did fine with the ceremony up to this point. For the first time in Vincent's life, he went against Grimoire's actions.

"I….I promise to listen to you." Tifa finally speaks in between breaths. "But please, my Lords, don't do this to-

"You, shut up." Grimoire growls. "You will serve my son, just like you said you would. Now Vincent, continue the ceremony."

Vincent replies by getting from on top of Tifa and fixing her dress from the back. Grimoire glares at his son as he takes a few steps away from him and Tifa. This is a mistake that Vincent will soon learn from.

"Sephiroth and Ramuh, grab Vincent and make him face me."

Vincent snaps his head toward his father as he leaves the room. Ramuh and Sephiroth grabs Vincent and has his body facing the front of the door. Katherine stood in the same corner she managed to walk back to, and Tifa hops off the bed in fear, joining her. Seconds later, Grimoire appears with a leather whip in his hands.

"Don't you dare soften your grip and let him escape." Sephiroth quickly tightens his grip, cursing himself for getting caught. "You may be his mentor, but my order overrules his orders."

Grimoire wraps the whip in his right hand with a tight grip on it. He glares down at his son in shame. Vincent doesn't bother fighting off Sephiroth and Ramuh. He knew he would receive some type of punishment for his actions.

"This is your last chance, Vincent. Get on that bed and fuck her or receive the punishment."

The silence is thick as Grimoire awaits an answer from his son. Katherine and Tifa stood in the corner, now shaking in fear from Grimoire's wrath and Vincent's answer. Sephiroth and Ramuh held onto Vincent out of obedience. Neither one of the men wants this for the young prince. Vincent sighs and looks his father in the eyes.

"I won't do it."

Grimoire nods his head and cracks the whip against Vincent's pale skin. Scarlet, red blood runs profusely down Vincent's chest and Grimoire hit him again with the whip. The room begins to smell like his blood and with each hit, Sephiroth's and Ramuh's grip starts to loosen from Vincent's constant bucking. When the third hit clashes against him, Vincent inhales harshly. He doesn't dare cry out to give his old man the satisfaction. Not satisfied, Grimoire whips Vincent again and again and finally on the tenth hit he stops. Grimoire motions for Sephiroth and Ramuh to drop Vincent and they did.

The young prince fell to the floor with a loud thud, exhaling in pain. Blood is dripping from his chest from each of his wounds. Grimoire throws the whip harshly onto the floor, walks up to Vincent, and punches him in the face. Katherine and Tifa gasps in unison. Grimoire has never been this horrible when settling punishments. This is a completely different side of him. Sure, the man has changed over the years in their marriage, but he was never this extreme.

"I am greatly disappointed in you. I'm counting on you to rule this nation, and how can you do that when you can't even fuck your wife?!"

Vincent spits out blood in response and looks murderously at his father without uttering a word.

"Listen, all of you." Grimoire speaks. "Even though this incompetent fuck of a son is next in line, I'm still the king, and I will not tolerate any disrespect from no one! What I say goes, and that's the way it's going to be! Ramuh, tell Cissnei to come to my chambers."

Katherine doesn't dare to protest against Grimoire. Ramuh bows his head and quickly leaves the room with Grimoire and Katherine right behind him. She takes one sorrowful look at her son before completely leaving the room. Sephiroth and Tifa quickly rushes to Vincent's aide.

"I….I'm…..I'm so sorry!" Tifa blubbers as tears runs down he cheeks.

"It's…..nothing. Sephiroth, get me some hot water and towels." Vincent's breathing is uneven and his chest is on fire and red.

Sephiroth nods and quickly leaves the room. "Is….is there anything I can do for you?" Tifa mumbles.

Vincent shakes his head. "No. Just stay close to me and Sephiroth."

Vincent slowly gets up from the floor and sits on the bed. Tifa gets up from her knees and looks closely at his wounds. He bled for her, yet she has nothing to say.

"This is one of the consequences of disobedience here in Edge." Vincent spoke as Tifa looks from his wounds to his eyes.

"Then….why didn't you listen to your dad?"

"Because my father was asking me to do something very bad to you. You may not understand now, but eventually you will."

Tifa stays quiet until Sephiroth arrives with the water and towels. He dabs Vincent's chest carefully with the hot towel. Vincent hisses as the hot rag connects with his wounds. With the blood gone, Tifa notices that one wound is very deep. Vincent notices this and so did Sephiroth.

"I have to cover that with something in order to prevent it from any infections." Sephiroth looks more into the wound.

"Or you could use Cure." Tifa spoke almost in a whisper.

When Vincent and Sephiroth turned their heads at the girl, she clasps her hands together and closes her eyes. She thought about the brave effort Vincent did, and how he didn't hurt her. She thought about her friend back in Edge and her mother. Her happy thoughts channeled a small, green energy into her hands. She slowly opens her hands and cast the green aura onto Vincent's wound. The wound instantly begins to repair itself, and after a minute of the three observing the wound, it finally closes up but left a scar behind, starting from Vincent's right shoulder going downward and ending at his left hip.

"By the gods…."Sephiroth whisperes.

"Where did you learn that?" Vincent asks.

"I read it from a book. My mom had a very big library back at home. I read tons of stuff there."

"Vincent, if Grimoire were to find out about this-"

"He won't." Vincent looks to Tifa. "Do you know any other magic?"

Tifa shakes her head. "No. I wanted to learn that spell before moving on to other spells like Fire and Ice."

Vincent nods. "Listen, this stays between us. If the king knew about you knowing magic, you'll be in serious trouble. Do you understand?"

Tifa nods. "Yes sir."

"Good." Vincent gets up from the bed and grabs his upper clothing from the floor. "Father is very pissed so tonight you're staying in my chambers. Tomorrow, Sephiroth will show you your chambers."

Tifa nods and follows Vincent and Sephiroth out of the room. She dodged a major bullet tonight, but she knows she will have to get out of this nation and fast. What happened to Vincent could happen to her, and she fears that at some point, Vincent may not want to take a punishment next time.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Tifa was 10 years old, she was forced out of Midgar to Edge, a city filled with toxic, negativity, betrayal, scheme, and cruelty. As part of a peace treaty, she is to wed Prince Vincent Valentine. Over the years, the royal pair grows weary of the road they were destined to follow, and together, creates a new road. But no one said it wasn't going to be easy...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is original post on FF.net from my account. It is still ongoing on that website so if you would like to get further ahead with the story, I recommend going there.

Tifa couldn't sleep. The events from last night continued to haunt her mind over and over. When she finally did managed to fall asleep, she would wake up with beads of sweat around her neck and a soaked pillow. It's now morning and Katherine barges into the young girl's room, unannounced. Katherine quickly taps Tifa's shoulder harshly.

"Get up! Get up now! You're gonna be late for breakfast!" She snatches the blankets away from Tifa's small frame.

Wiping the cold and crust away from her eyes, Tifa slowly gets up, ignoring Katherine's pleas to rush her. Tifa wants to ask why breakfast is so important but decided against the decision. She'll have to learn to keep her mouth closed if she wants to survive in Edge.

"Go to the bath tub now! Some servants will assist you, and while you're in there, listen to what they tell you. This is your first breakfast meeting in Edge." Katherine rushes to the other side of the room where the closets are located.

 _Breakfast meeting? What does that mean?_ Tifa thought. She does what Katherine told her and went to the bathroom portion of her chambers. The servants threw several orders at the child while she bathed. Tifa thought bath time was a time to relax and cleanse your body; not to be drilled about what to do and what not to do. She often thinks that these people forgets that she's older than what she appears to be. She continues to listen to them. From what to do when Vincent speaks to her to what she should request to eat, all of the information is overwhelming. To her dismay, the servants are with her for the entire duration of her bath so listening to them drill her about breakfast, on top of looking at her naked body, is very uncomfortable for Tifa.

Finally, she manages to get out of her tub, and walks over to Katherine, who's now laying her dress on the bed.

"Put this dress on. I'll wait for you outside the door."

Katherine leaves the room along with servants, allowing Tifa to finally breath for a change. It's all too much for her. Her marriage to Vincent, being ripped away from Midgar, and the abuse from Grimoire is a lot to take in. Tifa fumbles with her dress, as she quickly puts her dress on. She pushes aside her current thoughts and meets with Katherine outside her chambers.

"Come with me." Katherine firmly says as she walks down the hall, leaving Tifa to walk faster than normal to keep up with her pace. "This is your first breakfast meeting with myself, Vincent, and Grimoire so just observe." Katherine spoke, taking a glance over her shoulder.

"Yes ma'am." Tifa answers. "Am I suppose to say anything?"

"Not this time." Katherine smiles slightly. She's thankful the child is finally picking up things. "At least nothing pertaining to politics. If someone asks you anything about yourself, you answer."

"Yes ma'am." Tifa replies. A sudden rush of relief washing over her body.

They finally reach the end of the corridor, and Katherine makes a right. There's a set of double doors that Katherine opened so effortlessly once the pair reached the end of the corridor. The doors leads to a balcony area, overlooking the front of the castle. There are guards at the gate letting merchants in and out along with chocobos and their tamers. Vincent and Grimoire are seated at a huge round table. There are servants around as well, two on each side of the table next to Vincent and Grimoire, respectfully. One of the four servants pours Grimoire a glass of orange juice, while the other three gathers Katherine and Tifa some silverware.

"Sorry I'm late my dear." Katherine says as she sits across from Grimoire, while Tifa sits across from Vincent on the opposite side. "It has been a very busy thirty six hours."

"I couldn't agree more." Grimoire replies, shooting a glare at Vincent, which Vincent decides to ignore. "However, we must get to business."

The servants comes back with Tifa's and Katherine's breakfast. They both have their share of eggs, bacon, sausage, biscuits, and grits. Tifa hesitates before picking up her silverware. Is it appropriate to start eating without permission? The young girl glances at Katherine, who also isn't eating her food, and also has her silverware in her hands. Grimoire gives a simple nod toward Katherine and she nods in return before shoving a forkful of eggs into her mouth. Tifa awaits for Grimoire to do the same, but he never did. He instead just stares back at her with a sly grin on his face. Tifa is confused by his expression so she turns to Vincent, who appears agitated. It's too early in the morning to be playing such mind games. He nods and Tifa picks up her fork but then stops.

"Thank you…. my...Lord." Tifa has everyone's attention. Grimoire smirks wickedly as he takes a bite of his biscuit.

"You're welcome." Vincent replies.

A few seconds goes by before Grimoire speaks. "As we all know, the peace treaty between Edge and Midgar has been fulfilled." Grimoire pauses and looks over at Tifa before continuing. "However, it seems our queen to be has lived a sheltered life. Tell me child, have you ever seen the outside of Midgar's castle?"

Tifa swallows her bacon before responding. "My mother and father would often let me play with my friend in castle courtyard."

"Well, have you ever left the castle quarters?" Grimoire clarifies.

"No sir." Tifa replies. "Mother and father said that it was dangerous for me to go outside."

Grimoire heavily sighs before commenting. "Well that is going to change in due time. Katherine, what is the current status of Joe?"

"Several witnesses say that he was caught stealing from the castle's chocobo carriage." Katherine replies as she wipes her mouth with napkin. "I say we behead him."

Grimoire smirks before replying. "I agree. Stealing, especially from us, have dire consequences. Next order of business...Elena." Grimoire motions for one of the servants to refill his orange juice. "What are the details?"

"Her and Cissnei exchanged harsh words to each other." Vincent spoke up. "Cissnei claims that Elena made some rather lewd comments about her and some royal knights intervened. Elena then spat on one of the knights."

"Behavior like that will not be tolerated." Grimoire grumbles as he finishes his bacon. "Have Elena meet me in the grand hall. We will dissolve this situation immediately. Anything else?"

When Katherine and Vincent doesn't respond, Grimoire continues. "Good. Meeting is adjourned." Grimoire gets up from the table and walks away, motioning for the servants to clean up the area. "Oh, and one more thing." Grimoire turns to face Vincent. "Bring your new wife to the grand hall."

Grimoire leaves, leaving Katherine, Vincent, and Tifa with their breakfast. Vincent frowns at his father's request. Katherine takes a few more bites of her sausage before pushing her plate away. She gets up from the table and waves her hands at the servants to clean her area as well.

"It wouldn't hurt to get Tifa acquainted with the castle quarters after the meeting with Elena, Cissnei, and your father." Katherine says as she looks over to her son.

Vincent nods as his response and Katherine takes her leave. Tifa and Vincent continues their breakfast in silence. Once Tifa is done, she pushes her plate and glances at Vincent, who's drinking his orange juice. He glances at her and she quickly looks down. He sighs, looking at the child. She's just a mere ten year old who have to adjust to this new life in just a short while. He wants to be easy on the child, but he knows he can't. With his father around with his demands and his mother having no voice whatsoever, Vincent is caught in a rock and a hard place. He knows his father is going to do something drastic to prove a point to Tifa once they meet him inside the grand hall.

Shaking his head, Vincent spoke. "The king is going to want you adjusted here very quickly, and he will do everything in his power to make sure you're a proper queen."

"Y-yes sir." Tifa responds hesitantly. "What must I do?"

"You will learn." Vincent places his glass down before continuing. "You learn and learn very fast because you will be tested."

"I'll try my best, sir." Tifa straightens her posture before continuing. "What do you think he will test me on?"

"Everything." He sighs as several thoughts run through his head. Grimoire is a very harsh man, but he's easy to read. Vincent doesn't know where to start. There is so much to teach in such a small time frame. "From etiquette to emotional response, you have to be perfect. I know you're a child but your age or appearance doesn't matter here. I need you to understand that."

Tifa nods and Vincent continues with his lecture. "If you wish to make your days easier here, start by appearing you are trying to adjust. A step in the right direction is to cater to my every need, even if my demand is ridiculous. Also, serve me, even though most actions are demeaning."

"Like what?"

"For instance, do not address me as 'sir'. I am your king, not a knight. 'My Lord' will suffice. Also, a tender gesture will be required of you."

"Like, a kiss on the cheek?" Tifa questions.

"No. That's too romantic. You are to serve and to stand by me, not love me." Vincent hates that he's the one destroying Tifa's way of living. The way love was displayed to her in an everyday fashion before arriving in Edge is something he envies. Though the actions were fake, at least had a taste of what love and respect is. However, like others in Edge, he knew the truth. Another time and place to cross that bridge. No matter how he wishes to preserve Tifa's innocence, he knows he can't. He wants her to survive in Edge, even if that means tearing her away from everything she knows. Better him than Grimoire. The poor child may not have an eleventh birthday if it's up to Grimoire.

"Oh….how about asking if you need anything?" Tifa suggests.

Vincent takes a moment to think before responding. "That could work. Show me how you would do that."

Tifa gets up her chair and stood in front of Vincent for a couple of seconds. She takes a deep breath and smiles."Is there anything else I can get you, my Lord?"

"Too forced. Try again."

Tifa thinks for a moment before responding again. "I'm gonna go to the ladies' room. May I get you anything, my Lord?"

Vincent nods. "That's a little better but next time, try not to hesitate."

Tifa nods, feeling her confidence slowly building up. "My Lord, Queen Polly is over there." Tifa places her hand on Vincent's shoulder. "May I speak with her?"

When Vincent nods, Tifa continues. "Thank you, my Lord." She does a small bow before pretending to walk away. "How's that?"

"Great." He has to admit, the girl is a fast learner.

Vincent continues with his lessons. "If King Grimoire or Queen Katherine says something you don't like, what do you do?"

"Say nothing, especially to King Grimoire. A girl in my position that questions a king can be beheaded." Vincent senses the sadness in her voice. Tifa continues with her answer when Vincent doesn't respond. "I'm really not supposed to say anything around guests, even if I back talk Queen Katherine. It would make you look bad."

"I see the queen have given you a few pointers." Vincent stands from his chair, towering over the young girl. "Come. Let's meet the king in the grand hall. He requires our presence urgently."

Tifa nods and follows Vincent as he navigates the both of them to the grand hall. On her way there, Tifa takes time to admire the castle walls. The walls are adorned nicely by lit torches and Edge's royal family crest.

"My Lord, what's that creature on the crest?"

"That is Neo Bahamut." Vincent answers as they made a left and continued down the corridor. "Neo Bahamut is a mythical being that have been said to have had led to Edge's multiple victories in wars centuries ago."

"Oh! It's the stronger version of Bahamut." Vincent stops and stares at the girl. "Bahamut is a being said to have helped Midgar win wars too."

Vincent nods. "That is correct, but do you remember what I told you about magic?"

Tifa's smile quickly fades. Gaia, he hates tearing her down bit by bit. As soon as she grasps some sort of happiness, he's there to snatch it away. He is beginning to get more and more disgusted with himself as the seconds tick by. "Yes, my Lord. It's forbidden."

"It's forbidden for women, especially women in your position. You will be beheaded." Vincent corrects rather harshly.

Tifa nods and the duo continues their trek to the grand hall in silence. Once they arrive, Vincent spots his father sitting on his throne. There's an empty throne that is next to Grimoire's right that's reserved for Katherine. It is way less flashy than Grimoire's throne. A few spaces to the left of Grimoire's throne stood Vincent's. It isn't as big as Grimoire, simply because Vincent is the prince, not the king, but it's still flashy. It's made out of solid stone with the back being covered in gold and of course, Edge's crest. Grimoire has a similar looking throne, but only his is made from complete marble and his crown is etched into the stone with two massive swords on the very back of the throne. Katherine's throne is a basic stone throne. The thrones shine brightly against the sun that peers through the stained glass windows. As the newly married, royal couple approaches Grimoire's throne, Tifa noticed there is no spot for her. Vincent glances at Tifa with a stern face before swiftly looking up at his father, who is sipping a glass of wine.

"Father."

"Vincent."

"King Grimoire." Tifa gives a small bow.

Grimoire smirks. "Excellent."

"Come Tifa." Vincent orders and motions for Tifa to stand on the right side of his throne. _So far, so good._ Vincent thought to himself as he sits on his throne. A servant walks by and offers Vincent a glass of wine. He takes it and then the servant offers some to Tifa. Not knowing what to do, Tifa looks at Vincent.

"Bring some apple juice for her."

The servant bows and swiftly retreats to fulfill Vincent's request. A few moments later, the servant comes back with the apple juice. Tifa starts to put the drink to her lips, but then stops, pulls the glass away from her lips, and looks at Vincent. He nods and Tifa drinks her juice. Vincent can feel Grimoire observing the duo, that wicked smile is sign of pleasure.

A few minutes goes by when a royal knight walks into the grand room and knells before the royal figures.

"My Lords, Cissnei and Elena are here."

"Send them in." Grimoire orders.

The knight bows and leaves the grand room. Vincent leans in closer to Tifa while Grimoire excitingly adjusts himself comfortably.

"Keep your hands intertwined with each other and in front of you during the duration of this meeting. Remember what we discussed."

"Yes, My Lord."

Vincent nods in satisfaction as he takes a sip of his wine. Tifa hastily finishes her apple juice and a servant takes the glass away from her hands before she could open her mouth to make a request. Elena and Cissnei are escorted in with two royal knights right behind them. The four of them all bow to their lords and the knights steps back, awaiting for Grimoire's or Vincent's command at any moment.

"So, I hear you ladies had a squabble and spat on one of my knights." Grimoire's attention darts toward Elena. "Explain to me why you spat on my knight, you wretch."

"My Lord," Elena begins. "Cissnei seems to think that she's untouchable."

Cissnei rolls her eyes. "Keep those eyes unrolled!" Grimoire barks. Cissnei flinches and Grimoire motions for Elena to continue. "My Lord, the accusations made against me are completely false."

"Is that so? Tell me more."

Elena swallows away a hard lump before continuing. "My Lord, I did say some rather inappropriate things to Cissnei, but My Lord, please understand that I was just defending myself." When Grimoire's response wis nothing but a small sip of his wine, Elena continues. "Cissnei said some rather cruel things to me about not being married. And I said I'd rather be unmarried than to be any man's whore."

Grimoire sits his glass back down. "Go on."

Elena repositions herself and continues. "After that, she said 'I'm a whore who belongs to royalty. I will always be protected.' I said 'No you're not. You're just a medic like me who's spreading their legs for married men'. Then she said 'Again, I'm a whore who belongs to royalty.'"

Grimoire strokes his beard in silence and turns towards Vincent. He's staring at the women intently. Grimoire notices that Tifa is standing still and is performing proper etiquette.

"Sounds like a bunch of he say she say." Vincent comments. "How do we know your words hold value?"

Elena swallows another hard lump and turns her attention toward Vincent. "Because, My Lord, Cissnei wears an engraved ankle bracelet from a royal member."

Everyone is silent. Even Grimoire is at a loss of words. Grimoire shifts his weight and a frowns creeps onto his face. Tifa, too nervous to move her head, cut her eyes toward Vincent, who seems to have a frown on his face well, she couldn't tell.

"Knights, bring Cissnei to me." Grimoire orders.

Both knights grabs Cissnei and pushes her toward Grimoire. The look of disgust could have killed her, if such a thing was possible. Grimoire grabs her ankle and snatches away the ankle bracelet, not caring about the slight yelp that escapes from Cissnei's lips. The king pushes her harshly away from him, and before she could get her footing, she's grabbed by the two knights and is forced to stand next to Elena. Grimoire studies the ankle bracelet carefully before glaring at Cissnei and places it in his pocket. Cissnei has a look of fear on her face.

"Prince Vincent, it seems that Elena is telling the truth. Cissnei, this little whore is parading around our castle wearing an ankle bracelet belonging to a royal family member of Midgar." Grimoire looks over at Tifa. She wants to look over to him but is too afraid. Grimoire smirks. He craves the fear in her body.

"Oh really?" Vincent spoke. "Such disrespect isn't allowed here in Edge, even with the peace treaty with Midgar."

Grimoire stands from his throne and walks toward Elena and Cissnei. "What do you think we should do?"

"Midgar isn't an enemy so I say leave her off with a warning." Vincent answers as he crosses his legs.

Grimoire nods, pondering Vincent's answer. He takes another sip of his wine as he stops in front of the two women. Both are very tense and scared beyond anyone's imagination. Grimoire turns to Tifa, who has a look of anguish, though she never let her gaze fall. Grimoire appreciates the child's bravery.

"Princess Tifa, what do you suggest?"

Tifa breathes out a little to even her voice and rid it of any fear. "I stand by your decision, King Grimoire, and also yours, My Lord." Tifa gives a small nod towards Vincent as she gives a light touch on Vincent's shoulder.

Grimoire couldn't help his sinful smirk. She'll be doing anything for his son in due time. He turns back to Elena and Cissnei as he finishes the last drop of his wine. When the remaining contents were gone, he smashes the glass against Cissnei's head, causing Elena and Tifa to jump back in fear. Elena clashes with one of the royal knights and Tifa grabs onto Vincent's right arm. Grimoire stood in place with a vicious look on his face, while Vincent, completely unfazed, watches his father.

"Knights, take this whore to the dungeon!"

The knights quickly grab Cissnei. "Why?! Why?!" She screams over and over as the knights take her away, her blood leaving a small trail.

"You may be excused, Elena."

"Thank you, My Lord. Grimoire. Lord Vincent and Princess Tifa." She quickly acknowledges and practically runs out of the door.

"Never wear a brand of another nation here, no matter if that nation is friendly." Grimoire swipes away some glass on his clothes and looks at Vincent and Tifa. "Meeting is adjourned. Servants, clean this mess up." Grimoire leaves and the servants quickly runs to the glass and blood.

Tifa, still shook from what just happened, looks at Vincent, who is standing from his throne.

"Congratulations. You passed your first test."

"Thank…..thank you, My Lord." Tifa whispers.

"Come on. Let me show you our courtyard and get some fresh air."

Tifa nods and walks alongside her future king. As she walks by, she glances at Cissnei's blood and flinches at the thought that it could be her blood on the floor if she were to ever make the king angry.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Tifa was 10 years old, she was forced out of Midgar to Edge, a city filled with toxic, negativity, betrayal, scheme, and cruelty. As part of a peace treaty, she is to wed Prince Vincent Valentine. Over the years, the royal pair grows weary of the road they were destined to follow, and together, creates a new road. But no one said it wasn't going to be easy...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is an original post on FF.net from my account. It is still ongoing on that website so if you would like to get further ahead with the story, I recommend going there.

As Vincent and Tifa walks by in one of many corridors, several people nods in acknowledgment. Tifa's wine-colored eyes awes at the beauty of the courtyard. Several chocobos are coming and going inside the courtyard. Water shoots out of several fountains that are adorned nicely with the cobblestone walkways. Merchants and guards bustles about in an orderly manner. A baby chocobo with a pink ribbon tied around its neck catches Tifa's attention. She begins to run toward the stable, but then stops in mid stride. Cautiously looking up at Vincent, she points to the chocobo, while still looking at Vincent. When Vincent nods, she smiles gleefully and dashes toward the stable. She squeals in excitement as she knells next to the baby bird. Blue, night-like eyes looks at the young girl.

"You're so cute!" Tifa coos as she scratches the top of the chocobo's head.

The chocobo coos back as the young girl continues to scratch its head. A pair of black boots suddenly appears next to Tifa, causing her to flinch away from the chocobo and the man. The silver-haired man simply smiles.

"Do you wanna name it, Princess Tifa?" Sephiroth smiles a little to show the young child he isn't a threat to her. When she doesn't reply, Sephiroth spoke again. "It's a girl, hence the pink ribbon."

Tifa looks at the chocobo for a brief moment. "Ferrah." Tifa finally responds.

Sephiroth nods and smiles. "I think that's a beautiful name."

Tifa smiles back and resumes to scratching Ferrah's head. "Vincent, how is your morning so far?" Sephiroth asks as Vincent made it to the trio.

"Interesting."

Sephiroth nods, noticing the sarcasm in his prince's voice.

"Tifa, would you like to play with your new friend for a few moments further into the stable? I need to speak with Sephiroth." Vincent looks down at the young girl enjoying her new friend.

Tifa happily nods and stands up to hop over the wooden stable. She runs around the open area and Ferrah happily chases the girl, cooing in between the trots. Vincent looks at the pair as his previous thoughts begins to slowly creep into his mind. The innocence, the corruption, the kingdom, and his morals. A constant mental battle within his mind is brewing inside of him, and the raven-haired prince just doesn't know what to do.

"So, what sinister show did Grimoire put on for her?" Sephiroth asks, breaking Vincent away from his thoughts.

"The act of betrayal." Vincent bitterly replies. "The hypocrisy is so thick."

"So…..that's why Cissnei is in the dungeon."

Vincent turns to Sephiroth to give him his complete attention, a surprised expression displayed on his face. "You knew about this?"

"I was the one who put her there." Sephiroth hesitates. "Vincent, I was ordered to put her in the The Chains."

Vincent's eyes widens. "When is the sentence?"

"Later on today. I'm not sure the exact time."

Vincent sighs as he looks back at his young wife. _So that's the game you're playing at, Father._ Vincent doesn't understand. He always knew his father wasn't the greatest man in the world, but this level of cruelty he has never seen in his father until a few months ago.

"I need to prepare her." Vincent finally spoke.

"How? How do you prepare a child for _that_?!" Sephiroth frowns.

Silence is amongst the two men for a few moments. Finally Vincent waves for Tifa to come to him. She hops over the wooden stable and waves at Ferrah.

"Can I come back and feed her later, My Lord?"

Vincent nods. "As long as Sephiroth is with you."

"Thank you, My Lord." Without hesitation, Tifa happily wraps her arms around Vincent's waist. Vincent's body stiffens as the young princess squeals with joy. Vincent's eyes makes contact with Sephiroth's. The moment felt like minutes between the two of them.

"Ramuh and Sephiroth are the only two men I want you around. Do you understand?"

Tifa nods and smiles. "Yes, My Lord."

"Sephiroth is Edge's greatest knight and he is the commander of our army. Ramuh is full of wisdom. These are the only two men I can trust in this castle."

"Not even your mom and dad?" Tifa frowns.

"No and don't you go repeating that."

Tifa nods, a little taken back by Vincent's sternness. Vincent bids Sephiroth farewell and walks back to the castle.

"I'm going to take you to the library where Ramuh is at." Vincent states as the pair turned a corner. "I want him to help you with your teachings."

"Okay." Tifa is more than excited to continue her education. Reading is her strongest subject. She would spend hours in the library back at home. Thinking about Midgar makes the young princess feel sad. She misses Midgar, but she knew she couldn't go back. Not now, not ever. The royal pair made their way towards the library in silence.

* * *

Ramuh walks out of the library with a massive book in his hands. Ramuh smiles when he sees the young pair approaching him. He closes the book and tucks it between his right arm and hip.

"Ah! Prince Vincent and Princess Tifa! How is your morning so far?"

"Good!" Tifa happily replies. "I went to the chocobo stable today and made a new friend. Her name is Ferrah."

"Sounds exciting." Ramuh happily replies.

"My Lord is letting me go feed her later on today."

"Your Lord…." Ramuh trails off quietly looking up at the prince. The older man glares at the young prince. "How could you?" Ramuh quietly barks.

"Ramuh, show Tifa the library." Vincent barks back.

Ramuh's eyes never left Vincent's as he motions for Tifa to enter the library. Tifa screamed in joy as she awes at the view. Books are neatly placed on shelves and bookcases are stacked to the tall ceilings. Plenty of artwork of Edge's crest is scattered about on the walls. Ladders are on the edge of each bookcase to reach the higher books. Red and gold carpet adorns the library nicely with the white-gold marble floors. Tifa immediately runs to the second floor and grabs a book in the fairytale section.

"You're seriously going to break this child?" Ramuh asks in a concerned voice once Tifa was out of earshot.

"Do you honestly think I want to do this?" Vincent replies angrily but manages to keep his voice down so Tifa wouldn't hear him. "Father just smashed Cissnei's head in shortly after breakfast and sent her to The Chains."

Ramuh shakes his head in disbelief. "You know Father will demand my presence, along with Tifa's."

"Prince Vincent, you are the only one who can stop this terrible fate for this child."

Vincent sighs, feeling the tension in him slowly leaving his body. He wants to not do the unthinkable things to the child. He wants to spare her, runaway, and leave the vicious cycle behind him, but he couldn't. His obligations to his nation will always be his destiny. As long as Grimoire is the king of Edge, he is powerless. Sure, he's a prince and the heir to the throne, but Grimoire's commands overrides Vincent's, especially since the young prince isn't showing signs of a 'true' king. Anxiety and tension slowly fills Vincent again. His is heart racing fast as he lightly places his right hand on his heart.

"As long as Father is king, I must obey him, just like you."

Ramuh looks at his prince with despair in his eyes. "Do you want me to look after her for awhile?"

Being grateful that the elder man changed the subject, Vincent nods. "Bring her to my chambers in four hours."

Vincent turns and walks toward the exit of the library. "I hope it won't be too late before you overcome Grimoire." Ramuh calls out to the prince.

Vincent stood in place for a few moments before walking out the library completely and into the hallway. Ramuh quickly closes the doors behind him and locks the doors, while shaking his head in udder disappointment. If this girl is to have a chance in Edge, he would have to teach her to defend herself. The elder, wise man walks up the second floor and approaches the young girl, who is happily content with the book she's reading.

"Princess Tifa, I hear from Sir Sephiroth that you know how to use magic."

Tifa stops reading and gnaws on her inner cheek. She looks up at the older man, and though she doesn't detect any malice behind his eyes, she looks back down at her book. Vincent told her that Ramuh is one of the two people he trusts in the castle, but that doesn't mean Tifa does.

"N-no, sir."

Ramuh smiles a little. "It's okay to say if you do."

Tifa swallows away a lump. "Vincent said that I can trust you."

Ramuh is relieved when Tifa finally lets her guard down. His smiles widens a little and replies. "You can."

Tifa gnaws away at her inner cheek again. She gives the elder man her undivided attention. "I'm scared."

The shakiness in her voice could easily be picked up from a mere chocobo. The child sitting before him is struggling to keep it together, and unfortunately, Ramuh feels that things are only going to get worse from this point forward. Ramuh stands up, sits the book down that he was holding onto the floor, and extends his left hand.

"Come with me. We'll start with Fire."

Tifa looks up and grabs Ramuh's hand. The man guides the child to the grand stairs that leads to the third floor and makes a right to a dead end. He pauses for a moment and mouths to the child that this place is a secret. Waiting in anticipation, Tifa quickly nods and watches Ramuh lift his right hand on the marble wall.

"Dispell."

Moments later, a staircase has formed and the marble wall had disappeared. Ramuh motions for Tifa to go first and he cast Dispell again behind them to make the wall reappear again. When Tifa gets to the bottom of the small staircase, she couldn't believe how well the upkeep is to the small dungeon-like area. There are targets, books, and potions on a wooden table. There are mannequins that are made of wood and one is covered with knight's armor. The place is lightly dimmed and when she runs over to the window, she could see the adult chocobo stable yards away.

"I keep this place dimly lit in order to train without attracting any attention to this place. I prayed that this day would come. The day that things changes around here."

Tifa turns back to Ramuh, who is now flipping through a book looking for the Fire spell. "Do you train here often?" She asks.

"Yes. All the time." Ramuh answers as he hands Tifa the book.

She reads the pages, slowly going over each word.

"Magic is an emotional phenomenon. I pray that I see the day when this cruel pathology ends. Prince Vincent is stuck. Whatever happens, stick by him and aide him." When the child doesn't respond, he continues his encouragement. "I can only imagine what you've been through since you've been here, but make no mistake, it will get worse. I'm giving you the basics to defend yourself."

Tifa closes the book and rests it on the window pane. "I will practice as much as I can. I know I must keep it a secret."

"That's right."

Feeling a little more determined, Tifa cracks her knuckles. "Thank you, Mister Ramuh. Can we start now?"

Ramuh gives her a small smile. "Ramuh will do just fine, and yes, let's begin. Prince Vincent requests your presence in a few short hours."

* * *

Vincent's green cape fans out from behind him as he and Tifa are walking toward their destination. Since this morning, Vincent has been trying to figure out a way to tell Tifa the horrors that are about to unfold in front of her with her very eyes. How could he even start the conversation? Time is running out and they are slowly approaching their destination. They made a right and slowly walked down a small flight of stairs before stopping at a door made of black bars. Vincent reaches inside his right pocket to pull out a key and unlocks the black bar door. He pauses and turns to look at Tifa.

"What you are about to see...this could be you. Take heed. This show is my father's way of showing you your future if you don't comply to the rules here."

Tifa stares intensely at Vincent as she swallows away a lump in her throat. Without another word, Vincent walks through the doorway and hurries through the small corridor that leads to a dungeon. Sephiroth's emerald eyes meets Vincent's ruby eyes. The two men spoke through their eyes; Sephiroth eyes are warning the prince; Vincent takes heed to Sephiroth's unspoken words. Feeling satisfied, Sephiroth steps aside and opens one of the double doors, allowing Vincent and Tifa to enter.

The door closes behind the pair. There are three thrones with the backside facing Tifa, Vincent, and the two guards that are posted on the opposite end of the fiery, lit room. Katherine, who has a very smug look on her face, is sitting on her throne, and Grimoire is sitting on the middle throne. Vincent walks over to the throne on the right and greets his mother and father with a simple nod. Tifa stands silently on Vincent's right side. She turns toward Katherine and Grimoire and bows to them.

The guard that was standing post on the left hand side of the room walks inside the enormous cage that is in the center of the room. There is another guard that emerges from a door that's in the inside of the cage. The guard is carrying a leather, black contraption. With the help of the other guard, the two guards assembles, what looks like to Tifa, a chocobo saddle, but there are two big holes inside of it. Moments later, one of the guards pulls out a long, silver chain and hooks it around a small hook that's hanging from the ceiling, with the help from a small jump.

Tifa clutches onto Vincent. Chains, a leather saddle? What the hell is going on? His ruby eyes sees the worry and anxiety building up inside of her. He motions for her to sit on his lap. She happily obliges and as she gets comfortable in his lap, the guards returned to their original positions. The guard who was behind the door inside the cage, comes back inside the cage with a fighting Cissnei in his arms. Tifa gasps as she clasps her hands over her mouth. Vincent is frozen like a statue and Katherine smirks as she leans in closer and adjusts herself in her throne. Cissnei tries her best to break free from the guard's grasp but she's unsuccessful.

After a few more minutes have passed, Cissnei is strapped inside the black, leather saddle with her arms suspended from the ceiling where the silver chain hung. Her body is arched over slightly, exposing her from the waist down. Grimoire smiles wickedly as he got up from his throne and walks inside the cage from the front.

"You've made a fool of this nation, and most importantly, you made a fool of me."

Hot tears escapes from Cissnei's eyes. "Why are you doing this to me, Grimoire? You told me you loved me."

Cissnei's screech echoes as Grimoire smacks her backside. "How dare you speak lies to me?!" Grimoire's viscous voice echoes just as loud as Cissnei's screech.

"They're not lies! You told me! You told me you would leave Katherine!"

Another smack to her ass causes her to scream in pain again. Katherine let a chuckle escape her lips and sips her wine that a servant brought to her moments ago. Tifa, in utter disbelief, grips onto Vincent's cape for support. He feels the fear trembling out of the child's body. He places a hand on her arm and it calms her a little.

Not taking his eyes off of Cissnei, Grimoire snaps his fingers on his right hand as a motion for the guard to grab a whip. He wound the whip tightly in his hands and released it onto Cissnei's flesh. Katherine laughs, taking sips of her wine in between her chuckles, while Tifa flinches away into Vincent's cape. Vincent slightly turns his head away. He can't bare the scene unfolding in front of him. Cissnei's cries may have easily been heard by the other inhabitants of the castle if the dungeon isn't on the ground floor.

"Now why would I go for some whore like you over my queen?" Grimoire bitterly asks.

"Grimoire, you….you...you know I'm telling the truth!" She's whipped again. Determined to speak her truth, Cissnei continues. "You told me I was going to be royalty!"

"I never promised you such lies!" The whip cracks loudly against her flesh. He throws the whip on the ground, never taking his eyes off the sobbing woman. He grabs Cissnei by her hair and yanks her halfway off of the saddle.

"You stupid bitch! You're not even worthy of being my concubine!"

"That's a lie and you know it! I was promised if I served you as your concubine, you would behead Katherine, and let me be your queen because she didn't please you!"

Cissnei's words put Vincent at a pause. He looks over to Katherine, who sits on her throne comfortably as she shakes her head with a smile on her face and takes a sip of her wine. When will these concubines learn? Kings from all over have their concubines. Some even have their favorites, and every king, or man for that matter, would make empty promises to women just to shove their dicks inside of them, but never would a king leave his queen for such swine.

Grimoire slaps Cissnei in the face with his free hand and rips off her top. Her scarlet chest matches her face and eyes. Grimoire grabs her left nipple harshly and pulls and twist on it. Cissnei spits a mouthful of blood before speaking again.

"Say what you want, Grimoire! You know I'm not lying! When I realized that you weren't going to give me the throne, I slept around with men in Midgar."

"Fucking whore." Grimoire gnaws harshly at the same nipple while he twists and pulls on the other one, his right hand never leaving from her hair. The humiliation Cissnei is suffering makes Katherine burst into full laughter. She doubles over as her laughter got louder. Tifa has now completely wraps herself inside of Vincent's cape.

"So you think this is all fun and games, Katherine?!" Cissnei spits out a large amount of blood again. Grimoire pulls his mouth away from her nipple, leaving behind a small trail of blood. He slams her back into her original position.

"I may be a whore, but hell, at least I'm an honest whore! You think because you share his bed, you're safe?! That's not the case!"

Her speech becomes a slur as Grimoire rams his cock inside of her. Tifa takes a peak and looks at how the woman is displayed. Naked, abused, and called a liar in the eyes of the king. She sobs as she retreats back into Vincent's cape. Vincent, now looking down completely, swallows away a lump, unable to continue to watch the cruelty. This isn't necessary at all. Katherine's laughter subsides but her smile is still on her face. Grimoire pulls away, spits on his cock, and rams back inside of Cissnei.

Crying out again, Cissnei speaks again. "You reap what you sow you wicked bitch! You think that little peace treaty was to spare Midgar?! No! It was to get his filthy hands on that princess!"

Grimoire slaps her again, causing Cissnei to bite her tongue. Katherine's smile quickly fades. "Shut your damn mouth!" Grimoire yells harshly as he pushes deeper inside of her. Her walls begins to get wet the more he rammed into her.

"Make sure you look at me while your king is raping me of everything! Make sure you sit in that exact spot when your son rapes that little girl, and if it isn't your son it would be this son of a bitch raping that girl in due time!"

Vincent fells Tifa wrap her arms tightly around Vincent's stomach underneath the cape. Is this show for his mother or Tifa or both? He isn't so sure now. Katherine stands up from her throne in anger as she glares daggers at the bloody woman. Vincent whispers to Tifa to comfort her, and Grimoire continues his cruel actions.

He yanks Cissnei's hair again with his right hand as he quickens his pace with each thrust.

"Stop your fucking crying! Take responsibility for your lies!"

He pushes her head back and yanks it back again, never stopping his thrusts. His groans gets louder and louder until finally he pulls out as he shot his cum all over her ass. Once he's done, he pulls up his pants and observes the woman.

"Utterly pathetic." He grabs the whip from the ground and wails on her asked, vulnerable body, each cry louder than the previous hit. After the tenth time, he throws the whip back on the ground, exhausted from his actions. He grabs the chains that are hanging Cissnei's arms and she falls to the ground with a loud thud. Breathing heavily from her torture, she slowly looks up to Vincent, who is now standing up from his throne, with a sobbing Tifa standing next to him with fresh tears running from her eyes.

"Don't….don't….don't be a monster like your father." Cissnei is barely heard by the prince. Her voice is almost gone.

"You got one more time to speak out of line." Grimoire growls as he pulls a switch blade away from his pocket. Shaking her head, Cissnei continues. She's ready for her fate. "This will happen to that gi-"

Blood splatters across Grimoire's face as Cissnei's body went limp and her head hit the floor, with a fresh slash wound and blood now on her throat.

"No!"

Tifa runs out of the dungeon in tears. She ran. She doesn't know where exactly but she ran. Was it her fate? If Vincent won't do it, would it be Grimoire? The last two days in this hell hole makes Tifa sick to her stomach. She's only ten years old, and she has been exposed to such viciousness in such a short amount of time. She ran so much that she doesn't realize that she ran into Vincent's chambers. She slams her body onto the bed. She couldn't shake the blood, rape, and murder from her mind.

After sobbing for a few minutes, her head snaps in Vincent's direction. He closes the door behind him and locks it.

"No! Please!" Tifa runs off the bed and runs behind it. "No! Please Vincent! I beg you!"

Vincent quickly goes behind the bed where the crying child had went into a fetal position.

"I'll learn to serve and please you! I promise! I'll do anything for you!"

"Tifa, I'm not going to hurt you. Please, calm down."

He rests his right hand on her shoulder. She trembles at his touch and it saddens him deeply. After a few minutes of sniffling, Tifa looks up at Vincent, his crimson eyes are filled with nothing but concern. Tifa hugs Vincent tightly.

"I will never do that to you, nor will I allow that to happen. I promise." He whispers as he hugs the scared child back.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Tifa was 10 years old, she was forced out of Midgar to Edge, a city filled with toxicity, negativity, betrayal, scheme, and cruelty. As part of a peace treaty, she is to wed Prince Vincent Valentine. Over the years, the royal pair grows weary of the road they were destined to follow, and together, creates a new road. But no one said it wasn't going to be easy...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is an original post on FF.net from my account. It is still ongoing on that website so if you would like to get further ahead with the story, I recommend going there.

The events that happened five years ago would forever be burned inside Tifa's retinas forever. Since witnessing Cissnei's rape and murder, Tifa have stayed on top of everything. She refuses to let that happen to her. Although Vincent promised her he wouldn't let things get too far, she couldn't depend on him. She feels that one day, he would carry out his father's cruel wishes, due to finally caving in. For five long, scary years, Tifa have followed every demand from both Vincent and Grimoire to a T. She refuses to have her life cut short by such cruelty.

During the years, she noticed the level of violence has increased. Grimoire would hold ceremonies with people being hung as a main event. The people would cheer and chant at the scene, while she stood next to her future king in disgust. Katherine would cheer just as loud as Grimoire during events, but would easily change her ways behind closed doors. Since Cissnei's death, Grimoire has had a few share of concubines, but Shelke is his favorite. He would parade around ballroom dinners and events with her, disregarding the glares Katherine would shoot at the pair. Katherine is all talk, but in reality, she is just as scared of Grimoire like any ordinary person. The queen is no fool. Grimoire could easily dispose of her in the same manner Cissnei was disposed.

Vincent is still Vincent, though Tifa senses he has been weary the past year. There were times she would see Vincent clutching his chest and hanging on to a nearby window pane or wall for support. Whenever she asked what was wrong, he would disregard her and tell her not to worry. If he fell asleep before her, she would cast Cura on him. Her magic has improved quite a bit since she was a child, but she still has a long way to go. She practices with Ramuh as much as she could whenever she got a chance.

As strained and awkward her marriage to Vincent is, she has to admit the prince has kept his word on keeping her safe from the atrocities Grimoire have committed. She feels safe enough with Vincent to keep her away from being hurt, not killed. As she got older, she noticed that Grimoire would make advances towards her, and though Vincent would intervene, he didn't dare push his father. In the end, Vincent may give up on Tifa to save himself should the scenario ever arise, which she couldn't blame Vincent. He is kind of enough to look after her all this time.

This is why she practiced as much as she could in secrecy. In the end, she have only herself to protect her, despite what Ramuh and Sephiroth may say about Vincent protecting her and staying by his side. She shoots a Fira spell at the metal dummy before doing a backwards somersault into a Thundara spell and slamming her feet onto the stone floor. Ramuh claps happily as she adjusts her posture. She focuses heavily on the dummy and begins to perform front kicks on the dummy. After the third kick, she flips backwards and cast Blizzara in two directions, hitting both the metal dummies. When she finishes her move, she smashes her fists together and did a small respectful bow.

"Excellent work, Princess Tifa." Ramuh is happy that she's able to combine combos in such a short amount of time.

"This is all your teachings, Ramuh." Tifa breathes heavily as she walks from the dummies and grabs a towel on the wooden table.

"I'm glad you were able to grasp the material. You may be ready for the more advanced spells sooner than I expected." Ramuh is very impressed by the young princess. Though she's fifteen years old, she fights as if she's in her early twenties.

"One set of spells at a time, remember?"

Ramuh grins. "That's right. I've taught you well."

"Yes sir you have." Tifa glances at the clock that's on the center of the back wall and notices she only has forty minutes to get ready for the breakfast meeting. She quickly drinks her glass of water and rushes out of the chambers.

"I'll try to come back later on!" She calls out to Ramuh as she cast Dispell on the wall and running through the library to get to her chambers that she shares with Vincent. During the five years she shared chambers with her husband, they've only started to share a bed together last year. To prevent Grimoire from doing anything drastic, Tifa insisted that she and Vincent got rid of the second bed to make it look like they are sleeping together. Technically they are, but there's nothing sexual about them. She's still a virgin, and though they've never talked about sex, she senses that Vincent isn't a virgin, which doesn't bother her. She would rather him have a concubine to fulfill that itch instead of her. For that, she would happily give Vincent praise; he didn't take away her virginity.

She finally makes it to her chambers and burst through the heavy double doors in a bit of a rush and closes them behind her. She swiftly goes to the bathroom while unbuckling her fighting attire. Vincent stands at his sink brushing his teeth with a towel wrapped around his waist. He sees Tifa's foggy reflection from the mirror.

"How was practice?" He asks as he spits a mouthful of toothpaste into the sink.

"It was fine, my Lord." She finish unbuckling the buckles and starts to unzip the rest of the clothing. When everything is undone, she glances at Vincent, who is still brushing his teeth.

"I'm not looking. Do what you have to do."

She thanks him, gets undressed, and rushes into the shower. As soon as the glass door to the shower is closed, Vincent rinses his mouth and walks away from the sink and to the sleeping area of the chambers. He walks to the bed to put on his attire for the morning. There's a knock on the doors, and Vincent invites the person in.

"Good morning, Vincent." Sephiroth says as he hands some parchment over to Vincent.

Vincent takes the parchment away from his silver-haired mentor and reads the title. He glances away from the parchment to look at Sephiroth. The two men looks at each other for a few seconds before Vincent closes the parchment and throws it under the bed. "Good morning, Sephiroth. Have you seen the king and queen this morning?" Vincent wants to change the subject quickly before Tifa catches wind.

"Yes and they seem to be at odds. I saw Shelke coming out of the chambers with them."

Vincent sighs. "Father must be having both of them at the same time."

"My thoughts exactly. Watch yourself at breakfast this morning. Where's Tifa?"

Vincent points to the bathroom area before putting on his shirt. "She's in the shower. Her and Ramuh have been practicing a lot lately."

"You think Grimoire caught wind of her knowledge of magic?"

"If he did, she would be dead by now." Vincent finish putting on the last piece of his attire. He opts for his blue cape since his mother always complained about him wearing red most of the time. The young prince has to admit that he looks great in blue, but red is his all time favorite color. Red attire adorns nicely with him, especially his eyes.

"Good point, but still, make sure she's on her guard at all times."

"My Lord, could you hand me my dress from the other side of the bed please?" Tifa's request interrupts the two gentlemen. She pokes her head out from the bathroom to point to the dress in question. Ironically, she chooses a royal blue dress to wear to match Vincent's blue armor and attire. Vincent grabs the dress in question and hands it over to Tifa. She retreats back in the bathroom with Vincent closing the door behind him.

"She's getting more beautiful everyday." Sephiroth mutters.

Vincent frowns at the slender man. "What's your point?"

"My point is this, she's starting to develop as a woman. You're not going to be able to protect her from _certain_ things much longer."

"We've been faking things this long, we'll continue to make it."

Sephiroth shakes his head. "And if Grimoire calls your bluff?"

Vincent is silent. He hates it when Sephiroth backs him into a corner of reality. So far, Vincent and Tifa have been covering their bases to keep Grimoire off their backs when it comes to Tifa being 'a perfect future queen for the future king' hence the reason why they share a bed. Around guests, Tifa makes sure to pay extra attention to Vincent, making sure his every need is met before mingling with guests that comes and goes to the ballroom. And to add an extra dose of oil to the fire, she would often give Vincent kisses on his cheek, and let him give her a small grope of her shoulder, which seems to please Grimoire, but Grimoire is no fool. He knows his son haven't fucked her and the king reminds him once a year about that short coming.

"Then we will play out the fantasy. It's crucial to our survival." Sephiroth and Vincent turn their heads towards Tifa, who now walks over to the two men. Vincent has to admit, she's growing into a beautiful woman. At fifteen, her breasts are beginning to grow develop, her hips are a little wider, and her brown, silky hair has grown longer.

"It's not just my survival on the line, my Lord's survival is on the line as well." Tifa turns to Vincent. "We will cross that bridge whenever the time comes."

"Yes." Vincent agrees. "Now, let's go to this breakfast meeting before Father becomes suspicious. Sephiroth, I'll see you later."

Sephiroth nods and Tifa and Vincent makes their way down the corridors towards the balcony area.

"I know it's been hard for you my Lord, but-"

"Not as hard as it been on you." Vincent interrupts. Tifa walks into him when he suddenly stopped walking. "I know you practice as much as you can so you can defend yourself not only from my parents, but from me as well." He whispers so no one could hear them.

Tifa is stunned. "My Lord, I-"

"You don't have to explain yourself. If I was in your shoes, I would be doing the same thing. I know you half believe in me and I know you think I will turn into my father."

Tifa sighs. She feels bad for Vincent. For five years, this man has gone through great lengths to make sure she doesn't suffer from Grimoire's wrath, while trying to keep his morals in tact.

"Do you think you will become your father?" She asks out of curiosity. She really needs to know.

Vincent pauses for a moment. "I can't promise you that." It's the Gaia honest truth. "I can only promise you what I promised you five years ago."

She looks down at her hands for a brief moment.

"Good morning you two." Katherine grumbles in a rather bitter voice as she approaches them from behind. "That lousy king of ours is waiting. Please don't keep him waiting." She whispered. She didn't dare say that out loud.

"Vincent," Tifa begins when she is sure Katherine is out of earshot, but she keeps her voice low so that she wouldn't be overheard by anyone. "if there's one thing I can say about you is that you were always honest, especially when it comes to me. In my eyes, that's no where near your father, and for that, I thank you."

She gives Vincent a quick peck on the cheek. Vincent's body become less tense. Her words moved him. He nods and motions for them to enter the balcony area to start the breakfast meeting.

"Morning to the both of you. I hope the two of you are having a better morning than I'm having." Grimoire spat as he looks at Katherine, who glares back at him.

"Good morning Mother and Father." Vincent says as he takes a seat next to Grimoire.

"Good morning King Grimoire and Queen Katherine." Tifa speaks as she takes a seat next to Katherine.

The royal members are instantly served their breakfast before anymore shots could be taken. For the first few minutes, they ate in silence. Occasionally, Katherine would shoot daggers at Grimoire, who in return do the same thing.

"Tifa," Grimoire speaks unexpectedly as his glare remains on Katherine. "How are things with you?"

"Everything is fine, my Lord. I am however worried about Ferrah." Though she's shocked that Grimoire acknowledged her, she is genuinely concerned about Ferrah.

"Oh? What's wrong?" Grimoire's glare slightly drops as he turns his attention to Tifa.

Tifa is confused. Grimoire never exchanged pleasant conversations during breakfast meetings. Usually it would be about business, and him sniping at Katherine about something while Katherine snipes in silence. What ia his game today?

"She's not getting enough exercise. I want her to be in top shape for our incoming guests at the end of this month. We've been so busy with planning everything that I haven't tended to her."

Hearing the slight concern in her voice, Vincent speaks. "I can handle the rest of the things on the agenda today. You go tend to Ferrah after this."

"Thank you, my Lord." Tifa is truthfully grateful. Between planning for the event and her secret training, she hasn't had the time to tend to Ferrah. Though Ferrah is a cute, white chocobo, it's the only thing she has as a friend, besides her magic and Ramuh, which she has to conceal from the watchful eyes of Grimoire.

Grimoire carefully watches the pair as he continues to eat his food. Over the years the young pair seemed to get along with each other just fine. Grimoire would carefully watch them, trying to spot any inconsistencies within them and watch the two of them fall apart, to his dismay. The rest of breakfast is eaten in silence. The servants picks up the remaining dishes.

"Let's get down to business, shall we everyone?" Grimoire has everyone's undivided attention. "Katherine, I want you to make sure the florist has all of the flowers I want. Not a single bundle should be missing from the order."

Katherine nods, and Grimoire continues. "Vincent, make sure you contact Nibelheim and ask if everyone on the guest list is coming, especially Princess Lucrecia."

Grimoire stares at Tifa for a moment before continuing his instructions. "Tifa, I guess you can watch for the chocobos since you're checking on Ferrah."

"Okay my Lord." Tifa nods as she responds.

The servants, Grimoire, and Katherine all leaves the balcony area, leaving Vincent and Tifa to themselves.

"Who's Princess Lucrecia?" Tifa asks.

"Lucrecia is the Princess of Nibelheim. We were betrothed to marry, but then the peace treaty with Midgar happened. You know the rest."

"Why did King Grimoire side with Midgar instead of Nibelheim?" Tifa asks as she furrow her eyebrows.

"Midgar is bigger and have more resources than Nibelheim." Vincent pauses for a moment. "Father is throwing Lucrecia in your face, in case that wasn't obvious enough."

Tifa is quiet for a moment. "Should...should I be worried?"

"...Yes."

Before breakfast, Tifa praised Vincent's honesty. He doesn't want to start lying now. There are a number of things Vincent could think of that Grimoire could be up to, but he doesn't know for sure exactly what the deranged man is up to.

"He's testing my place here in Edge." Tifa says in almost a whisper.

"...Yes." Vincent agrees, slowly turning his head to his now concerned wife.

"...I won't fail. He's trying to break me. This is his game." Tifa states matter of factually. "He won't break me. Excuse me my Lord, I must tend to Ferrah, if you don't mind."

Vincent waves for her to go and she leaves, leaving the prince to himself. "I hope your actions can back your words up. For your sake...and mine as well." The young prince sighs as he drinks his orange juice in silence.

* * *

Tifa is pleased to know that Ferrah isn't as rusty as Tifa thought she was. She's able to hop hurdles and catch balls just fine. After an hour workout, Tifa leads Ferrah back to her stable and rewards her with sweet carrots.

"Good afternoon, Princess Tifa." A young chocobo tamer greets Tifa and bows respectfully to her. "I have an urgent message from a girl with short dark hair."

"Short dark hair?" Tifa repeats as she gives Ferrah another sweet carrot.

"Yes princess. She said to give this to you, and that you would understand its contents."

The chocobo tamer hands Tifa the parchment before leaving the stable. Ferrah coos as she chomps on the sweet carrot. Tifa lightly scratches her head before giving her full attention to the parchment. Her eyes widen when she sees the first six letters written in red.

' _Yuffie'_

Tifa quickly sits on the wooden chair that's next to Ferrah. Could it be? She quickly unravels the parchment and reads the contents.

' _Edge is in shambles. Your father has gone mad. Your mother has lost complete control. She's sentenced to be beheaded next week for assault. No new princess has been appointed queen, to my knowledge. Also, I have become your father's concubine. I was forced on my knees every Wednesday for the last four years, and now, I can't take it anymore. I miss you dearly. I don't know how things are in Edge, but I sure hope it's better here. I don't know if this will ever get to you, but if you do see this, please meet me at our special place on Friday at four in the afternoon. I want to see you one last time, in case your father catches me or death comes upon me.'_

Tears flows down Tifa's eyes. She never thought her father would be so cruel. Since her birth, her father never displayed any sort of anger towards her or her mother. It just didn't make any sense. Swiping away her tears, she glances at the clock that's above Ferrah's head and it reads two o'clock. She has two hours to reach her friend, which is nothing for Ferrah, considering her breed and training she has undergone in the last five years.

"Ferrah, we're going on a quick adventure." Tifa quickly gets up from the chair and grabs Ferrah's custom saddle. She straps Ferrah properly and opens the gate before hopping onto Ferrah. Tifa lightly taps Ferrah on her sides to get her to move and Ferrah slowly trots her way out of her stable. The chocobo tamer that gave Tifa the message almost runs into Ferrah, which causes the white chocobo to go crazy for a second.

"Whoa girl! Easy there!" The young man manages to calm Ferrah down. "Princess, where are you going?"

"I have some business to tend to. I must leave."

"But, what about Prince Vincent?"

Tifa shakes her head and snaps. "I need to leave! Just tell him I'm doing second rounds on the chocobos!"

Taken back by her harshness, the tamer just nods his head. "I'm sorry, sir." Tifa lowers her voice. "I must get going."

With that, Tifa taps Ferrah's sides and the chocobo takes off.

* * *

Vincent finish writing the rest of his letter to Princess Lucrecia about Nibelheim's arrival at the end of the month, and to make sure everyone is accounted for. He seals the letter with Edge's famous wax crest and hands it to the servant. The servant bows and takes her leave. Vincent cracks his fingers, reliving them from cramping. Writing letters were never his thing. His fingers cramps easily.

"How's everything coming along?" Sephiroth asks as he walks into the throne room.

"I just finished the letter. Hopefully this event won't turn into a disaster."

"What makes you think it will?"

"Father made sure to rub Princess Lucrecia's arrival in Tifa's face. Tifa said she wouldn't break, but actions speak louder than words."

Sephiroth takes a moment to think over the situation. "Maybe Grimoire is having second thoughts about Tifa and is going to have Lucrecia marry you, like the plan was initially."

"And overthrow Tifa? No. I don't think he would do that. He would dethrone Mother and make Tifa his queen before he would let that happen."

Vincent pauses. He couldn't believe the words left his mouth so effortlessly. Sephiroth notices the prince's hesitation. "Do you think that's Grimoire's overall goal?"

"...I...can't say for certain."

"If you had a choice, who would you choose as your queen?"

"That's difficult to answer. Both of them are so different. I'm inclined to say Lucrecia since she was arranged to be my queen in the first place. Not to mention she's slightly older than Tifa and it would rid Tifa the burden of being a part of this hell. However,"

Vincent pauses for a moment as he gets up from his throne. "Tifa is...Tifa. She's a determined young woman and I can slowly see she will not be beaten easily. Lucrecia is an ideal queen for Father, but Tifa is an ideal queen..." He trails off, never finishing his sentence.

"Possibly for you?" Sephiroth finishes.

Vincent slowly nods. He swallows away a lump in his throat. His marriage to Tifa is forced, but he can honestly say he did care about her well being. Ever since she walked into the castle walls, she had no one. He felt the least he could do was keep her safe. That was five years ago, and he's slowly realizing that he isn't protecting her out of obligation; it's because he wants to.

"Have you heard anything about her progress with the chocobos?" Vincent finally asks.

Sephiroth shakes his head. "No."

"I need to check on her."

With Sephiroth following behind him, Vincent walks through the castle corridors and to the entrance. He glances at the stables and sees that Tifa is no where in sight. He walk over to Ferrah's stable and notices that it's empty. He frowns when he looks over and sees the gated open field where Tifa usually trains and play with Ferrah empty as well.

"Where is she?" Sephiroth asks, getting a little angsty.

"That's an excellent question." Vincent answers, matching Sephiroth's concern.

He turns and walk a little ways out of the stable and sees a chocobo tamer. Vincent flags him down and the tamer slowly walks toward Sephiroth and Vincent. Instant red flag.

"Good day, Prince Vincent and Sir Sephiroth." The young man is visibly nervous.

"Where's Princess Tifa?" Vincent decides to cut right to the chase.

"Um...she should be here treating the chocobos, sir."

"If anything happens to Princess Tifa, and you withheld information as far as her whereabouts, you'll be publicly beheaded." Sephiroth jumps in before Vincent could reply. He pulls his sword out and places it under the tamer's chin. The tamer instantly starts to cry. "Now let's try this again, where is Princess Tifa?

"I'm...I'm so sorry, Prince Vincent! She got on Ferrah and left the castle!"

"What?!" Both men shout in unison.

Sephiroth wastes no time in getting Chaos and Jester, Vincent's and Sephiroth's personal chocobos, respectively.

"Do you know where?!" Vincent questions the tamer.

"No sir! She received a parchment from some strange woman with short dark hair. I think the woman was a friend of Princess Tifa from Midgar."

"How did you meet this woman?"

"I was out restocking the food supply for the chocobos and along the trail, a strange woman approached me with the letter. She said to give it to Princess Tifa and that it was urgent."

"Dammit!" Vincent clutches his fists, causing the tamer to flinch away. "Give me the directions of the trail you took! Don't leave any details out!"

The young tamer is finishing up with his hurried directions to Vincent as Sephiroth comes back with two beautiful, gorgeous chocobos. Their black feathers shines nicely with the silver saddles and Edge's crest etched on both of the sides. Both men hop on their chocobos and together they leave the castle grounds.

* * *

Tifa makes Ferrah slow her pace as the pair slowly approach the cave. Tifa taps Ferrah to stop completely. She hops off of Ferrah and slowly approaches the cave. She notice there's a torch that was recently lit. She cast Fira and uses the torch as a source of light. She hangs the fire on the cave's wall where it intentionally hung at. This is their place. They used to play all kinds of games together when life was dull in the castle. Both of the girls knew how to ride a chocobo and would often sneak away from Midgar to this cave to be themselves. A lot of times they would practice magic together. Tifa is glad, in the end, that her friend made her promise not to reveal their knowledge of magic to anyone, not even to Tifa's father, especially how he allegedly turned out to be.

A rock from the ground quickly raises to the ceiling and come crashing back down in a swift movement. Tifa laughs a little.

"Still haven't mastered Tornado, huh?"

"You know wind magic was my worst area."

A woman slowly walks into Tifa's eyesight. The two women look at each other for a moment. The strange woman haven't seen her friend in five years, and seeing Tifa now is unreal. Tifa stands in front of her as a young woman. Her beautiful royal blue dress, albeit dirty a little from riding on Ferrah, is bright and rich looking. Meanwhile, her friend stands in front of her with a trashy looking top that barely covers her small breasts and a short pair of bottoms that would've shown her small rear if it wasn't for the cape that she managed to grab upon leaving the castle. There are a pair of heels that is cast aside without a care in the world.

As if they read each other's minds, both of the women embraces one another in a tight hug.

"Tifa!"

"Yuffie!"

They begin to cry, not letting go of each other. A few seconds later, they release their grip and take a look at each other.

"You look sharp, Tifa, or should I say, Tifa, Princess of Edge."

"No need for formalities, Yuffie. I'll always be Tifa in your eyes."

Yuffie smiles at her friend. "I thought I was never going to see you again."

Tifa's eyes sadden a little. "You're part of the reason why I continued to practice my magic."

"You look like you practice often." Yuffie noticed Tifa's Fira spell earlier. "You cast Fira without any effort."

"The advisor has been teaching me."

Yuffie is shocked. "A source from the castle?"

Tifa nods. "Yes. His name is Ramuh and he has been teaching me since my arrival."

Yuffie shakes her head in distress. "What about your king? He'll behead you once he finds out!"

Tifa smiles a little. "He knows about my use in magic and so does the commander of the army."

Yuffie is being with shocking information left and right. She couldn't believe that Tifa is able to practice magic consistently, especially under her king's approval.

"I know it's hard to believe, but it's true. Vincent is no where near as bad as King Grimoire."

"I saw the way that king treated you and how your dad put on a show in front of them when they came to take you away."

Tifa sighs. For a brief moment, she forgot about Yuffie's circumstance. Her friend is her father's concubine. That's a tough pill to swallow.

"If I may, how did _this_ happen to you?"

Yuffie sighs as she lowers her head a little. "I don't know if you are aware of the rules, but most concubines have a hysterectomy to reduce the amount of bastards in a royal family. I had a terrible chocobo accident shortly after you left. Mine had to be removed, otherwise, I wouldn't be standing here. We lost Fred that day."

Tifa saddens a little. Fred was her favorite chocobo back at home. "Anyways," Yuffie continues as she shakes her head. "For my eleventh birthday, I was summoned by your dad to come to his chambers. I...I was eleven! I didn't know he had hand-picked me to-"

Tifa pulls her friend into an embrace. When Tifa hopped onto Ferrah to meet Yuffie to this spot, she didn't believe what Yuffie wrote in the letter. Tifa could never fathom her father being another Grimoire, but seeing Yuffie dressed in an inappropriate manner and revealing the horrors she endured for the last four years, brought tears in Tifa's eyes. She knows what Yuffie is saying is true.

"I thought if I didn't do what he told me to do, he would kill me or somehow order you to be beheaded. I didn't want him to get to you!"

"Yuffie..." Her friend didn't hesitate to bend over for her for those long year. "Why did my father pick you?"

"To get back with at mother." Yuffie answers as she swipes away her tears. "The very first night he took me right in front of her and yelled over and over how the new king is going to have you on your knees blowing him."

Tifa understands the twisted message he's trying to convey, and it doesn't sit well with her at all. "What's the reason my mother is being beheaded?"

"She had had enough of your father's cruelty and stabbed him in the chest in front of dinner guest from Nibelheim. She yelled obscenities at him as the guards took her to the dungeon."

' _Nibelheim guests'..._ Tifa wanted to inquire more about what had happened, but Ferrah's voice distracts the two women. When Tifa entered the cave, she knew Yuffie didn't get there with a chocobo. The women slowly walk towards the entrance. As they get closer, Tifa notices that Ferrah's voice isn't in a panic; it's more like she knows who or what has approached her.

Before she can ponder any longer, Yuffie whips around Tifa and blasts a Fire spell around her shoulders. The spell makes her right ear ring a little. Tifa whirls the corner right behind Yuffie and cast Thundara behind Yuffie's Fire spell. A man with silver hair holding a long sword splices both the spells into nothingness. The other man reaches behind, between his cape and back, and grabs a three barrel gun from behind.

"Yuffie stop! I know these men!"

Yuffie turns to Tifa. "You do?"

"Yes!" Realizing that it's Tifa, Vincent and Sephiroth lower their guards and put their weapons away in their respective areas. "The raven-haired man is my husband, Vincent, Prince of Edge and Sir Sephiroth is the commander of the army. Gentlemen, this is Yuffie. She's my best friend from Midgar."

Vincent nods when he doesn't sense any foul play. "Is she the reason why you left castle grounds? To meet her?"

"Yes my Lord, and I'm sorry if I defied you in any way, but I had to see her." Tifa pleas. She doesn't know if Vincent would retaliate just to prove a point. "She's been through a lot."

"You could've gotten yourself killed!" Sephiroth yells.

"Hey, don't talk to her in that tone!" Yuffie barks back.

Sephiroth unsheathe his weapon and draws it towards Yuffie. "Young lady, the safety of these two are my top priority, along with running the army. Don't tell me how to do my duties!"

"Sephiroth, lower your weapon." Vincent says in a calm voice. When Sephiroth doesn't budge, Vincent speaks again, with more authority. "That's an order, Commander."

Sephiroth lowers his weapon like his prince instructs. Silence falls over the four of them for a brief moment. All that could be heard is Vincent's footsteps approaching Tifa. Yuffie steps a little forward, but is pushed away by Tifa's arm. When Vincent stops right in front of Tifa, Tifa gives her friend a small nod.

"It's okay Yuffie. I can handle it."

Cautiously, Yuffie steps aside, never taking her eyes off of Vincent. Inhaling and exhaling deeply, Tifa turns to face her prince. He doesn't look happy, nor did he look too upset either. His expression confuses her, but she doesn't back down.

"My Lord, do what you will with me now or later, but I will stand for the person who bent over for me and took unimaginable pain."

Tifa clenches her fists, bracing herself for Vincent to swing at her.

Vincent's face soften a little. "How long?"

"….Four years." Tifa answers as she feels the tension in fists lift slightly.

"Do you wish for me to take her back to the castle?" Tifa nods. "Under my command?"

Tifa eyes widen at Vincent's request, however, she knows he's doing them a favor. If Vincent doesn't welcome her, then she would be left for dead in the wilderness.

"If that is what she wishes, then yes." Tifa finally answers.

"Tifa, this is your future king. I've already done the unthinkable with your father. I can't with your husband." Yuffie intercepts.

"Yes you can." Tifa answers, her eyes never leaving Vincent. "He's different from the royal family in Edge."

Sephiroth approach the trio. "You do realize that if you bring her into the castle, Grimoire will test the sincerity of this."

Sephiroth has a good point. Tifa looks at Yuffie. "Yuffie, you don't have to partake in this, but this is the only solution I can offer you."

Yuffie glances at Vincent, then Sephiroth, and then back at Tifa. "And these men know about your secret?"

"That I use magic? Yes and it needs to stay that way. That goes for you as well."

Yuffie turns to Vincent. "May I train under the same eyes that Tifa train under?"

"In discreetness, yes." Vincent answers.

"Am I on a strict schedule when it comes to your needs?"

"You won't be on a schedule at all." When Yuffie frowns, Vincent elaborates. "I don't expect you to trust my words right off the gate, but do understand I'm inviting you to the castle so Tifa's survival can increase. She needs someone she can truly trust. The real threat in Edge is King Grimoire, my father. Though you're from a friendly nation, you were the concubine of a king and disposed of, therefore, you can't just walk into the castle with no sort of invitation."

"With my endorsement, if needed, you can freely access the castle without any hassle and you will be treated and housed with the king's concubines." Sephiroth adds.

Yuffie feels a little better but still isn't completely convinced. "What are the living conditions?"

"You all will share two chambers among one another, having a small wall separating the beds for some sort of privacy." Vincent answers. "Each chamber have two bathrooms, personal servants for the upkeep, and a full closet for clothes, and other things that involves the king's kinks."

Yuffie, to say the least, is impressed. The living conditions sounds more inviting in Edge than in Midgar. In Midgar, all of the concubines are in one room and come and goes depending on when the king orders them to come. Sometimes, there would be multiple women leaving the room at a time.

"Also," Vincent continues. "concubines in Edge also serve the commander."

All eyes are focused on Sephiroth. Even Tifa wasn't aware of that detail. "Not to worry though. I already have a personal favorite, besides you're off limits. You belong to the prince."

"And so we're clear, you're my concubine as a means to remain in the castle. You're not there actually screw me."

Yuffie frowns. "So wait, what was that comment about the king testing you or something like that?"

Vincent sighs. "When you reach Edge, you will learn the nature of my father. The king of Midgar has nothing on the King of Edge, and since my father is finding ways to break my marriage with Tifa, he will test you."

"You may actually have to sleep with Vincent." Tifa pipes in.

"Or at the very least get a little nasty." Vincent clarifies. "Understand that it means nothing to me, and I would never subject you in a manner that my father does his concubines, or any woman for that matter. Forced sex is nothing but rape and..." He trails off, folding his arms and adjusts his posture. "...I really don't want to do this to you, but if you're Tifa's dearest friend then I'm willing to take the burden, if you are of course."

Silence fall between the four of them again as Vincent hangs his head low, ashamed what he's proposing to the teen. As the days goes by, it's beginning to get more difficult to keep his morals.

"I agree...to everything." Yuffie finally speaks. "If being a common whore means I can be with my best friend, continue to practice my magic in secrecy, and have a roof over my head, then I'm game."

Tifa smiles and embraces her friend. Vincent and Sephiroth takes a moment to observe one another. Sephiroth agrees happily with Vincent's decision. It isn't exactly a graceful decision, but he knows the young prince would keep his hands off of the young woman for as much as he could.

The four of them approach the chocobos. Sephiroth mounts Jester, while Vincent mounts Chaos, and Tifa and Yuffie mounts Ferrah.

"Oh, before we leave I have to say this," Yuffie speaks as she gets more comfortable on Ferrah. When she's satisfied, she continues her comment. "I know you're her king, but understand that I will defy you if you were to cause harm to her. I don't care how nice you are, I would die for her if necessary."

Vincent understands her reason and gives the young woman a faint smile. "I would think less of you if you didn't."

With that, Vincent leads the way back to the castle. The sun is slowly setting by the time the four of them gets back to the castle. They get off their chocobos and guide them to their respectful stables. Sephiroth takes Yuffie's cape away and slashes it to bits before throwing it away in the bin. No signs of Midgar's crest is welcomed in Edge, even if they're a friendly nation. Sephiroth loans his cape to Yuffie, feeling like the young woman is suddenly exposed. She thanks him as they make their way towards the castle entrance. Vincent and Tifa trails behind. Tifa gives another carrot to Ferrah before rubbing her head goodnight. She turns around and sees Vincent standing right in front of her.

Neither one of them say anything to one another. He slowly presses up against her, causing Tifa to lean on the wood that contain Ferrah in her stable. He reaches behind Tifa's neck and surprise her by not snatching her hair or head. Instead, he gingerly touches it, almost in a caring way. He leans in closer to her, his mouth an inch away from her ear.

"Don't ever scare me like that again."

He moves away from her body and motions for her to walk with him towards the inside of the castle. She walks side by side her husband, thankful that though he's struggling with Grimoire watching his every move, he refuses to resort to his cruelty. Vincent doesn't realize how much Tifa really appreciates him, nor doesTifa realize how much Vincent appreciates her.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Tifa was 10 years old, she was forced out of Midgar to Edge, a city filled with toxic, negativity, betrayal, scheme, and cruelty. As part of a peace treaty, she is to wed Prince Vincent Valentine. Over the years, the royal pair grows weary of the road they were destined to follow, and together, creates a new road. But no one said it wasn't going to be easy...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story was originally posted on FF.net from my account. It is still ongoing on that website so if you would like to get further ahead with the story, I recommend going there.

Grimoire, of course, caught wind of Yuffie's arrival and asked to meet her in his chambers along with Vincent. It was the evening time the next day. As Vincent promised, the living conditions were exactly as he described. Yuffie and Sephiroth were walking down the corridor towards Vincent's and Tifa's chambers. Yuffie was ready for anything that Grimoire threw at her. Like she said yesterday, she would give her life to Tifa. There was so much she wanted to catch up on with her friend, but now, she had to roleplay with her best friend's future king. The young girl put on a front, but Yuffie honestly didn't want to be Vincent's concubine. Not because of her dignity or the lifestyle. As contradictory as it sounds, Yuffie didn't mind the lifestyle of being a concubine, but the young prince seemed to not want to put on this stunt. For the first time, Yuffie saw genuine morals in a man and she hated to put him through this, she really did. But she cared for Tifa more, and that made her make her decision. There was no turning back at this point.

Sephiroth opened the double doors and motioned for Yuffie to walk in first. Vincent was at the balcony area drinking a glass of wine.

"Good evening Yuffie and Sephiroth." Vincent said, never turning around to face them.

"Good evening." Yuffie and Sephiroth said in unison.

Vincent turned and motioned for Sephiroth to leave the room. The silver haired man nodded and left the two alone. Vincent slowly walked up to Yuffie and stopped right in front of her.

"Are you sure you want to go through this?"

Yuffie nodded. "Yes. Don't worry about me. I've been through worse."

Vincent lowered his head as he took a big gulp from his glass. Tifa came from the bathroom dressed in her night gown. She looked over to her friend and instantly hugged her.

"I can never thank you enough for agreeing to this." Tifa released her friend and looked at her sadly.

"Don't worry about me, Tifa. I'll be fine." Yuffie reassured. "This wicked son of a bitch isn't going to do anything to you. Not while I'm around. This vile creature days are numbered. I-"

Yuffie stopped and turned to Vincent, who still had his head lowered. He finished the remaining contents of his glass before sighing out loud and looking at the two women.

"No offense taken."

Yuffie lowered her head, feeling a little guilty she had bad mouthed the king. Despite his ways, Grimoire was still Vincent's father and that must be a heavy weight, knowing his father was the evil creature that everyone despised.

"I'm gonna go and clear my head." Tifa finally broke the silence. She had to clear her head before her thoughts consumed her. She walked over to the balcony area and her body went limp as she laid across the stone banister, sighing heavily.

Yuffie sighed. "Let's do this, Vincent."

Vincent nodded and took one final look at Tifa before leaving their chambers with Yuffie at his side. He didn't feel right at all. He felt a little nausea. Nothing about this was morally right. He often thought how men before him treated people, especially women, in a manner that his father does. At point does the madness ends? Yuffie noticed he was going slightly pale. She stopped walking and placed her hand on his right arm.

"Vincent, you gotta snap out of it. If your father is whom you, Tifa, and Sephiroth have described to me, he will see right through this lie. Neither of us wants to do this, but if you want to start making a difference, it's now." Yuffie hushed tone had a slight echo to it. There was no one in the corridor, but she kept her voice low in case someone walked by.

"Dammit Vincent, you don't have to carry the burden alone. Lean on me, and I'll guide you."

Vincent knew this girl for only a day and already she has made a great impression on him. He could see how Yuffie and Tifa became best friends. Both girls were determined and driven, even if that meant that they had to get a little dirty every now and then. Taking a deep breath, Vincent nodded and continued to guide Yuffie to the king's chambers. They finally arrived in front of gold, marble double doors that read 'Grimoire & Katherine' on the front of them. Vincent placed his hand on the door and looked at Yuffie as reassurance. When she gave him a determined nod, he pushed the doors open.

Grimoire's and Katherine's chambers were pristine. The floors were covered with rose gold marbles and all the furniture were red velour and gold trimmings. Sheer curtains closed off the balcony, the breeze gently pushing through the room. The bed was big enough to fit at least five people comfortably. The headboard were also gold plated to match the rest of the gold plated fixtures and furniture linings.

Grimoire smirked as the pair approached him. Shelke sat next to him with her right leg behind him and her left leg over his lap. She was completely naked with a collar around her neck. Grimoire had a chain clutched tightly in his hand.

"So this is your new whore, son?" Grimoire smirked as his eyes trailed to Yuffie. "I can't tell. She's completely covered."

"I didn't want any spectators to get excited when they saw her." Vincent responded.

Grimoire wasn't convinced, and Vincent knew that. "What's your name?"

"Yuffie, my Lord." Yuffie smiled and slowly ran her hand over her hips that were covered by the huge black cloak Sephiroth had loaned her. "It's a pleasure to be in your presence, my Lord."

"Hm..." Grimoire began to play with his goatee. "I hear you're a friend of Tifa's. Welcome to Edge. Tell me, how does Tifa feel about you fucking her future king?"

"It doesn't matter what she thinks." Yuffie purred and began to rub Vincent's chest. "What matter is Prince Vincent's demands and he demands a little more...oomph in his life."

Vincent had to give it to Yuffie. She was good; damn good. He almost forgot that this was a front for his father. If the prince didn't know otherwise, he would've thought he was fucking Yuffie for real. Yuffie's act seemed to please Grimoire as he seductively sucked his lips and teeth.

"Why don't the two of come over and sit on the opposite chaise?" Grimoire motioned for them to sit.

The pair went over to the chaise that was across from where Shelke and Grimoire were sitting. There were wine and food on the small table in between the two chaises. Vincent poured himself a glass before adjusting his body.

"Take that off." Vincent demanded.

Yuffie nodded and obliged with no fear or hesitation. She unloosened the ties that bound her to the big, black cloak and the cloak hit the floor. Grimoire's eyes were glued to Yuffie's body. Yuffie wore a sheer, red piece of fabric that was tied into a bow. The ends barely covered her genital. Though she was forced into the lifestyle, Yuffie was never self conscious about her body. It was her temple, and though it was defiled by King Edward, she's was damn proud of her body. She would never let a man or woman make her feel dirty about it.

"Grab those grapes and slowly feed them to me." Vincent commanded Yuffie.

She grabbed a bunch of green grapes, sat down, and placed two grapes in Vincent's mouth. Grimoire smirked, loving every second that was unfolding in front of him.

"I love your boldness, son."

"I learned from the best."

Grimoire nodded as he held his glass of wine in the air to salute his son. Vincent returned the gesture and took a sip of his wine after swallowing his grapes. He was afraid he would succumb to all the wine he has had and quickly motioned for Yuffie to put two more grapes in his mouth. It wasn't much but it was something to put in his stomach to battle the third glass of wine he has had within the last thirty minutes.

"So, I called this little overnight meeting to ask if you have gotten in contact with Princess Lucrecia?" Grimoire mused.

"Yes. She says that she is delighted to visit Edge again." Vincent replied as he took another sip of his wine. "I'm looking forward to seeing her."

"As you should." Grimoire took a sip of his wine as well. "It's been four years since you've seen her. I'm sure you're always on her mind.

"Well, we've parted on unfortunate circumstances."

"I concur." Grimoire eyed Yuffie. She knew his game and she wasn't biting. She gave Vincent another grape, ignoring the sneering king. He's got to try a lot harder to get under Yuffie's skin.

"Vincent," Grimoire started as he sat his now empty glass on the table. "this concubine is a bit smaller than Misty. What's with the sudden change?"

Yuffie's right hand twitched a little as she brought it away from Vincent's mouth. Vincent chewed hard on the grapes, staring intently at his father. _Low blow, old man._ Vincent thought to himself. It wasn't a complete surprise to Yuffie that Vincent did in fact had a concubine. Grimoire's mind games were good, and he almost triumphed over Yuffie with that remark, but she wouldn't be bested so easily. She dealt with a horrible king for four years. She endured and saw plenty of tricks these type of men play and say. Grimoire wasn't bringing anything new to the table. _Nice blow Grimoire, but Tifa and I aren't concerned about Vincent's concubine._

"Sometime you have to switch things up. Besides," Vincent's hand began to trail up Yuffie's leg, stopping at her hips. "Yuffie's endurance is better. It's always the tiny women." Vincent shot a glance at Shelke then back at his father.

Grimoire grinned. "You can say that again." Grimoire groped Shelke's breast before continuing. "So, everything on your part is completed for Nibelheim's arrival?"

Vincent nodded. "Yes. I will check with Sephiroth and Tifa on their parts tomorrow."

Grimoire nodded. There were a few moments of silence. Vincent finished off the rest of the grapes and his glass of wine. He place the grapevine and glass on the table. Grimoire looked at Shelke and Yuffie. Yuffie noticed the dirty way Grimoire was looking. The king had little doubt in Yuffie, and Yuffie sensed it.

"I'm feeling a little dirty. Aren't you, son?"

Vincent arched his eyebrow. "What did you have in mind?"

Grimoire snorted. "Shelke, kiss that whore over there."

"Yes, my Lord." Shelke kissed Grimoire softly before getting up, her breasts slightly bouncing from the motion. The chain around Shelke's neck clashed onto the floor and drug loudly as she approached Yuffie. Yuffie smirked as she got up as well. She's done way nastier things and wasn't fazed by Grimoire's tactics. She refused to falter and fail her best friend. With confidence, Yuffie grabbed the back of Shelke's neck and pressed her lips against hers. Vincent couldn't mask his shock. Yuffie was full of surprises. Grimoire leaned in a little, enjoying the two women ravage each other. Yuffie ran her hands over Shelke's breasts, kneading them and twisting her nipples as well. Shelke couldn't help but to moan. Yuffie broke away from Shelke and scanned her body. Yuffie tugged at her chain roughly, causing Shelke's body to jerk. Shelke bit her bottom lip as she awaited Yuffie's next move. Yuffie smirked as she rubbed her index and middle fingers onto Shelke's clit without warning, earning another moan from Shelke. Yuffie withdrew her fingers and slowly backed away from Shelke and licked her fingers clean, tasting Shelke's warm juices.

At this point Vincent couldn't tell if Yuffie was acting or really enjoying this. Grimoire was truly impressed with the young woman. His cock throbbed as he watched the short, raven-haired woman in awe. Yuffie's boldness had intrigued the king and Shelke as well. Yuffie smirked and sauntered to the table and placed her foot delicately on the table. She arched her back in a seductive pose while still standing. Never taking her eyes off of Grimoire, she shoved her recently licked fingers inside of herself as she began to moan and rub her small breasts. Grimoire smiled wickedly, never noticing that Vincent kept his head low, praying this scene would soon end.

Out of nowhere, Shelke stepped to Yuffie and lowered herself and began licking Yuffie. Yuffie couldn't help herself as she swiftly picked up the chain, and wrapping the chain roughly around her hand. She put a little more force in her leg that was on the table to maintain her balance and tugged on the chain to force Shelke's head upwards, urging the woman to continue her tongue movements. Shelke's moans were slightly muffled, due to licking Yuffie. She arched her back and began to rub and finger herself. Grimoire, now with his cock in his hand, began to stroke himself, never taking his eyes off of the women. Every now and then Vincent would stare at the women, in case Grimoire looks at him, though at this point, Grimoire was too busy enjoying the show in front of him that he could care less about Vincent and his pathetic tests he came up with to push the prince.

Shelke pulled away from Yuffie, her moans grew louder and louder as her fingers vigorously pounded in and out of her until walls clenched over and over all over her fingers. She took her fingers and taste her juices, making Yuffie smile as she began rubbing on her bud. Shelke shoved her tongue in and out of Yuffie while Yuffie twisted her nipples and rubbed her clit. Yuffie's pants made Grimoire growl in pleasure. He was cumming soon and he slowly felt it; his hips began to uncontrollably thrust in rhythm with his cock.

"Finish me off, Shelke!" Yuffie begged. Shelke began to eat Yuffie hungrily as Yuffie began to scream her orgasm out. Shelke continued her onslaught, drinking every drip of Yuffie's nectar.

"Shit." Grimoire hissed as hot liquid escaped from his cock.

Shelke and Yuffie adjusted themselves and kissed one another when Shelke was at eye level with Yuffie. Yuffie walked over to Vincent, who had a confused look his face. She sat on the chaise next to him and propped her leg on his lap. Though it wasn't too obvious, Vincent's cock was a little hard. Vincent avoided eye contact with Yuffie, feeling ashamed for being aroused, even though it was only a little.

Lifting his head up, Vincent saw Shelke licking his father cum while Grimoire's head was limp on the back of the chaise.

"Tiny women are amazing." Vincent finally broke the ice.

"...Yes. They are." Grimoire struggled to catch his breath. "You two can leave. Welcome to Edge, Yuffie." He waved for them to leave, never lifting his head to face him.

"Thank you, my Lord."

Yuffie and Vincent got up and made their way to the doors.

"I had fun, Yuffie." Shelke smirked at the slender woman.

"Likewise." Yuffie winked.

* * *

"I'm sorry I felt any arousal. I...don't know what have become of me." Vincent and Yuffie were in front of the double doors that led to the chambers where the concubines were housed.

Yuffie couldn't help but burst into laughter. "All that pussy licking and fingering going on in there, I'm surprised you weren't harder than that."

Vincent was surprised by Yuffie's remark. "I...I don't know what to say to that." He studied the woman more carefully. "Do you enjoy women?"

Yuffie couldn't help but smirk. "I _love_ women. We are such beautiful creatures. Shelke is a pro. I'd love to have her again when she's away from that bastard."

Vincent was at a lost for words. He had no idea that Yuffie had this side to her. Just yesterday she seemed freaked out and hesitatant about being his concubine, now here she is in front of him, fantasizing about licking Shelke clean.

"Being with women was the best part about being King Edward's concubine." Yuffie admitted. "He knew that I love women so he would often have an extra."

Vincent thought about her words for a moment. "It didn't bother you to have sex with women. It may not have even bothered you if you were a concubine in general...it bothered you that you were fucking Tifa's father."

Vincent hit the nail spot on. "Exactly. I have no problem flaunting my body. I'm not self conscious. Yesterday when I was crying, I was crying because of how I was forced into this realm and whom I was doing it with. I would've liked to explore sex with strictly women and of course, no one from the royal family of Midgar but that's life."

Vincent understood where Yuffie was coming from. Yuffie, in her own way, was a strong young girl, just like Tifa. She just goes about it in a different way. People would condemn Yuffie as a whore, but she didn't mind the cruel, nasty comments. She loved women and sex and it excited her. It excited her that she explored women and brought out excitement in others. That's what she lived for.

"Keep this between us. I'll tell Tifa on my own time." Yuffie was silent for a moment. "Out of everyone's opinions about me, Tifa's matters to me the most. If she knew her friend honestly didn't mind being a whore, and with women more specifically, I'm afraid she'll stray away. I can't afford that."

"Are you in love with her?"

Yuffie noticed the hesitation in Vincent's voice. "No. I love her as a sister."

They stared at each other for what felt like an eternity before Vincent concluded there was sincerity in her words.

"Get some sleep, prince. We got another day awaiting us in this place." Yuffie placed her right hand on the set of double doors. She had her left hand balled up and extended. Vincent gave Yuffie an authentic small smile as he lightly bumped his fist against hers.

They parted ways and Vincent began walking towards his chambers. In a short amount of time, he had gained another ally. He now had four people: Sephiroth, Ramuh, Tifa, and Yuffie. Though Tifa and Yuffie were leery of him, to which he couldn't blame the young women, he considered them on his side.

This game with his father have only just begun. There's still Nibelheim's arrival in Edge and based on his memory about Lucrecia, she was going to fight for the prince. He remembered how devastated she was when Grimoire decided to side with Midgar instead of Nibelheim. He could breathe for a little until that happens. He stopped dead in his tracks, sighing when he realized that relief wouldn't come so easily and as soon as he hoped. Queen Alice, the queen of Midgar and Tifa's mother, was going to be beheaded next week.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Tifa was 10 years old, she was forced out of Midgar to Edge, a city filled with toxic, negativity, betrayal, scheme, and cruelty. As part of a peace treaty, she is to wed Prince Vincent Valentine. Over the years, the royal pair grows weary of the road they were destined to follow, and together, creates a new road. But no one said it wasn't going to be easy...

Vincent was inside his parent's chambers taking care of the last minute preparations for Nibelheim's arrival. He received a follow-up letter stating that Princess Lucrecia would be bringing an extra. Vincent made sure to add the extra person to the list of guests and continued to double check everything to make sure things were in order. The young prince handed the documents to his father, who gave everything a quick look before nodding in approval and sealed the letters with hot wax and stamped it with Edge's crest. Vincent got up from his chair began walking towards the door.

"How's your incompetent wife handling her mother's execution?" Grimoire's inquiry wasn't shy of evil.

Vincent kept his back against his father as he clenched his jaw. Ever since Yuffie became Vincent's concubine, Grimoire belittles Tifa every chance he got, especially when it comes to her not fulfilling Vincent's sexual needs. The prince knew his father did it on purpose so he could get a rise out of Vincent, but Vincent never barked back, though, it has been more difficult to ignore the comments.

"I haven't talked to her about it." Vincent finally replied through gritted teeth.

"I suggest you change that tone of yours." Grimoire growled, not taking too kind to his son's attitude. "Anyways, does she even know about her mother's execution?"

"I'm sure Yuffie told her." Vincent managed to calm himself down enough to turn and face his vile father.

Grimoire grabbed a bunch of grapes and shoved a few in his mouth before responding. "Yuffie huh? You're not worried about their relationship at all?"

Vincent shook his head. "Not even in the slightest."

Grimoire finished off the rest of the grapes in his mouth before speaking again. "So, it doesn't concern you that the two of them could be conspiring to kill you?"

Vincent frowned. "That's very unlikely."

"You're right. Neither one of those whores have it in them to do that." Grimoire shoved a few more grapes in his mouth. Again, Vincent clenched this jaws, but made sure Grimoire didn't see him. Grimoire finished the rest of his grapes and threw the vine in the bowl he got the grapes from.

"Tifa...she's such a stubborn girl, isn't she?" Grimoire slowly approached Vincent. When Vincent didn't answer, Grimoire smirked and continued. "Maybe you should bend Yuffie over in front of her friend and show her how to serve you."

"Yuffie's doing a great job in serving my sexual needs." Vincent was happy that his father didn't call his bluff.

"But how exciting would it be if Tifa actually saw you fucking her friend? The look on her face would be priceless!" Grimoire couldn't help but laugh. "Maybe that would teach her to serve you properly."

"Father, Tifa is doing a great job in-

"You and I both know that you're lying!" Grimoire was now face to face with Vincent. So much for Grimoire not calling Vincent's bluff. He glared at his son and the prince did the same. "You will never rule this nation if you continue down this road."

Vincent's frown deepened. "And what road would that be, huh? Treating everyone with respect?"

Grimoire pointed his finger in Vincent's face, his glare never softened. Vincent wanted to reach out and break his old man's finger. "You will never gain respect from other nations if you continue this bullshit you're doing. A king must demand respect at all times."

"But a king must also show respect." Vincent cut in. Grimoire's finger was now an inch away from Vincent's nose. He grew tired of Vincent being docile when it came to ruling Edge.

"Vincent, your wife is supposed to serve you in every way. If you can't even make her spread her legs for you on command, then how can you run a nation?"

"That's for me to worry about. Not you." Vincent gritted.

Grimoire dropped his finger from Vincent's face and smirked. The two men were an inch away from each other, their glares never leaving their faces.

"Watch your tongue, Vincent. I am your father and I will not be disrespected." There was a moment of silence before Grimoire spoke again. "Your anniversary is coming up." Grimoire glanced at his son's chest and looked back at him. "I hope you're ready."

Grimoire slammed his shoulder into Vincent's shoulder before walking off, leaving Vincent in an angry state. He took a deep breath before walking towards his chambers. Though it was hard, Vincent would not break under pressure. He knew his father loved playing mind games, just as much as the sex-crazed man loved winning them.

* * *

"Tifa, you honestly think you can leave this castle without telling Vincent?"

Yuffie watched as her friend packed a small bag for her trip to Midgar. Tifa had to see her father and convince him to let her mother go. She needed to understand where did all the hate come from inside her father's heart. Growing up, not once did Tifa see her father do anything wrong with her mother. King Edward treated his queen with the upmost respect. Like a human being. Was it all a lie? Tifa needed to know, and if she didn't take her chance today, she may never have those questions answered.

"Vincent doesn't mind."

Yuffie sighed. She got up from the red velvet chaise and slapped the bag out of Tifa's hands, causing Tifa to frown. "You need to stop assuming everything. Do you not understand the scrutiny Vincent is under?"

"Yes I do." Tifa quickly grabbed her bag, her frown never leaving her face. "Vincent won't do anything to me."

"Don't be so sure about that."

Tifa paused and snapped her head towards Yuffie. "Where is this coming from? You've been here a little over a week and you see the way Vincent treats me."

"Tifa, one day that man may snap. You don't want to take him for granted."

"I'm not, Yuffie!" Tifa lowered her voice when she realized she elevated it. "I need to get some answers."

"Then ask the man. Your years here would be a little breathable if you at least give Vincent the proper respect and stop assuming."

"Why would he say no?"

"There may be a reason behind it and can't come out and say it. You need to slow down."

Tifa huffed as she shoved a white blouse inside her bag before tying it tight. "Yuffie, you know I'm not changing my mind."

"Tifa..."

Yuffie tried to grab her headstrong friend, but Tifa managed to snatch herself away from Yuffie's grasp. Tifa placed her hands on the handles of the double doors right before they swung open. The two women froze when they saw an irritated Vincent on the other side. Vincent glanced at Tifa's bag and back at her. Yuffie, feeling the tension between the two, quickly decided to get away. She didn't want to be a witness to anything.

"I'll be in the chambers if you need me, my Lord."

Vincent nodded, never taking his eyes away from Tifa. Yuffie shot a glare at Tifa before bowing to Vincent and excusing herself.

"What are you doing?" Vincent spoke in a tone that surprised Tifa. She could tell that he was riled up about something. She took a few steps back; Vincent matching her movements but only moving forwards. He closed the double doors behind him.

"What are you doing?" Vincent repeated.

"I'm going to Midgar." Tifa replied quietly.

"Without asking me?"

"I knew you wouldn't mind."

Vincent sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Are you aware of what I go through everyday? My father, our king, was just in my face about running you."

"Running me?" Tifa's brows quirked up as her face began to frown. "Wait, what do you mean by running me?"

"You know exactly what I mean." Vincent gritted.

Tifa swallowed the lump away in her throat. Vincent sighed, feeling bad that he was speaking to Tifa in a terrible manner.

"My father is relentless and everyday it's harder to keep my morals and promises I've made to you. If you would've took off, and I didn't know, it would make me look bad. He already thinks I'm not ready for the throne."

Tifa didn't realize she was holding her breath until she exhaled. Softening her stance, she looked into Vincent's eyes. She may not have a full understanding of everything, but she saw the hurt in her husband's eyes. She saw the constant fight and pain he has endured for the last five years. This is what Grimoire wants; absolute destruction between the young, married couple. Tifa grabbed Vincent's hand and gave it a little squeeze.

"I'm sorry, my Lord. I didn't mean to upset you." She sighed. "Yuffie was telling me some things that are similar to what you're saying now."

Her eyes looked down as she slowly hung her head. Vincent took his free hand and forced her almond eyes to look into his.

"I'm not trying to stop you from going to Midgar, but every move that we make is being examined by my father. Please communicate with me more. If we're not on the same page, its adding fuel to the already lit fire."

Tifa nodded. "I'm sorry, my Lord."

They released each other at the same time but never tore their gazes away. "Are you sure you are prepared to face the outcome?"

Tifa hesitated for a brief moment before nodding her head. "I have to see this through. I have to talk some sense into my father."

"...He was always like that." Vincent whispered.

Tifa frowned as she threw the bag over her back and placed each strap comfortably on her back. "You don't know him, Vincent."

Instead of replying and potentially damaging his relationship with Tifa any further, Vincent stepped aside and went to the bathroom, closing the door behind him. Tifa glared at the door for a moment before leaving the chambers and making her way to Ferrah. Tifa has increased Ferrah's training recently and she estimated that she would make it to Midgar within 15 minutes before the execution. She has already squandered enough precious time with her little spat with Vincent. Vincent...the nerve of that man to say that about her father. She wanted to slap him for that scandalous comment, but she refrained, remembering what her red-eyed husband has asked her. She finally made it to Ferrah and began patting her feathered friend before hoisting her up. She gave Ferrah a quick snack and guided her away from the stables.

"Prince Vincent knows about me leaving." Tifa said to the guard as she hopped onto Ferrah. "If there are any issues, please see him. I should be back within a few hours."

With no questions asked, the guard nodded and opened the gate and let the princess go through.

* * *

Tifa was happy that Ferrah made it with 45 minutes to spare. She tapped Ferrah's sides to slow her pace and guided to an underground pathway that her and Yuffie would use often to sneak away from the castle when they were younger. Tifa whistled to make Ferrah stop in her tracks when they were at the entrance. It was a cool afternoon and it had started to rain lightly while Tifa made the commute to Midgar. She looked down at the ground and noticed there were no footprints. Feeling a little less uneasy, Tifa tapped Ferrah's sides again and her feathered companion began to slowly trot through the cave. Tifa readied her hands to cast any magic in case there were guards or anyone else in the cave. The underground pathway was very well hidden, but she had to be ready for anything just to be on the safe side.

Ten minutes felt like hours as Tifa finally made it through the cave. She whistled softly and Ferrah stopped moving. She climbed off and reached into her bag for some treats that she packed. She gave Ferrah a few and smiled at her white chocobo.

"Be a good girl and wait for me here."

The chocobo cooed and laid on the ground while enjoying the rest of her snack. Tifa gave Ferrah another smile before placing the bag on Ferrah's back. She didn't need any extra weight on her. She walked over to the stone wall at the end of the cave. Her almond eyes lit up as she saw the wooden hatch above her when she looked up. She swiftly climbed the rocks and carefully opened the wooden hatch, hoping to not alarm anyone. Dust got into her eyes as she pulled herself up and into the room. She swiped away the dust in as she placed the rug back over the hatch.

She stopped moving and took in the fact that she was back at home. Midgar...it has been five years since she's been home. Nothing has changed at all, at least in the storage closet. There were various vases, silverware, curtains, and other furniture thrown about in the room with a nice layer of dust covering it. No one hardly ever came in the storage closet but the servants to dump something neither the king or queen wanted or didn't need anymore. Tifa frantically looked around for something to cover herself with. Her clothing had Edge's crest all over it, and she wasn't too sure if people would respond to her positively if they saw her. She wanted to get in and get out with little to no hassle. Her eyes found a black curtain. It wasn't fancy but it would get the job done.

Knocking away the dust, Tifa threw the curtain over her body like it was a cape as she went to the door and cautiously opened it. To her surprise there was no one in the corridor. She thanked Gaia and slowly made her way through the castle. It may have been five years since she's been there, but the design haven't changed. As she walked down another corridor, she saw people slowly gathering in the center of the courtyard. Tifa's stomach dropped. _He's planning on a public execution?!_ She felt her heart beat faster and her knees felt like they were beginning to give out on her. No wonder it's so quiet in the castle. She took a harder look and noticed that her mother or father wasn't on the wooden center stage.

Time was running out and she knew she probably wouldn't have enough time to speak to both of her parents. Sighing heavily, she quickly began running towards the dungeon area. To say that she was surprised when there were no guards near the dungeon was an understatement. Usually the dungeon was heavily guarded with at least one guard per room. She peeked around the stone corridor before walking down, checking each room carefully then proceeding to the next when she didn't find who she wanted. She stopped in her tracks when she could've sworn she heard light sobs. Holding her breath, she scrunched her face a little as she focused on listening for sounds. Her head snapped in the direction where she definitely heard the sobs.

Her breathing quickened as it echoed. She slowly walked to the door and looked inside to get a glimpse of the sobbing person. She snatched the door open when she saw her mother covered in blood and completely naked.

"Mother!" Tears quickly escaped Tifa's eyes as she ran and knelled next to her mother.

Alice looked up, her face red from all the crying she had done, and her eyes widened. "Tifa?" She choked out.

"Mother...what did Father do to you?" Tifa tugged the chains that bounded her mother but of course, it was to no avail.

"He's beheading me for finally standing up to him." Alice spat as she adjusted her body.

Tifa took off the curtain and wrapped it around her mother. "What do you mean?"

"It's been five years." Alice smiled at her daughter. Tifa was a mere child the last time she saw her. Now she was 15. Tifa still had some growing up to do but her daughter was shaping up to be a fine woman. "How did you get here?"

"It's not important."

"Does Prince Vincent know about your whereabouts?"

"Yes."

Alice stared back at her daughter in confusion. Alice didn't understand why Vincent would allow Tifa to leave the castle and come see her. Tifa sensed her mother's uneasiness.

"Why are you concerned about it, Mother?"

"Does he treat you right?" Alice asked.

Now it was Tifa's turn to be confused. This was not the reunion she'd expected with her mother. She haven't seen her mother in five years. Why isn't she trying to helplessly break free from her chains and hug her daughter?

"We had a small disagreement before I came here. Things have been difficult between us and his father. His father...is a sex-crazed maniac."

"Did King Grimoire-"

Tifa quickly shook her head. "No and neither have Vincent. Vincent really does his best when it comes to keeping Grimoire away from me."

Alice smiled as a tear of joy fell from her right eye. "I'm so happy to hear that. I can die having that knowledge."

The ambiguity Tifa was receiving from her mother was driving her crazy. "Mother, aren't you happy to see me? I mean, I haven't seen you in five years and all I get from you is...this?!"

Tifa flailed her arms around completely dissatisfied with how things are playing out. Alice sighed as she shook away the black curtain, exposing her naked body.

"Tifa, look at me."

"I am looking at you, Mother."

"No, I mean really look at me. From head to toe." Tifa obliged reluctantly. Cuts and bruises were all over Alice's legs and arms. There was a fresh laceration on her chest and her nipples were red and raw. Some of the gashes on her feet and back began to ooze pus and blood. The sight made Tifa sick. "I chose this path to keep you safe. I made a deal with the devil to keep you from harm."

"Mother, what are you talking about?" Tifa's voice was beginning to crack.

Fresh tears dripped onto Alice's hands. "You must leave at once! I don't want your last memory of me to be me getting my head cut off!"

"Mother, I-"

"I said leave at once!" Alice shoved Tifa away from her.

Tifa was astonished by her mother's behavior. Alice wept as she hung her head in shame. Alice didn't want this life for Tifa. Tifa was expecting a glorious reunion but she knew that wasn't going to happen. The young woman got up and slowly backed away from her mother. Tifa swallowed away a lump and swiped away her tears before responding.

"If you won't give me any answers, then maybe I can talk to Father."

Not waiting for an answer, Tifa quickly left the room, feeling empty and broken. Alice's scream echoed through the area. She begged to Gaia that Edward wasn't in his chambers by the time Tifa got there.

"Gaia no! Vincent, please take good care of her!"

* * *

There were several gasps as Tifa ran through the castle. She heard the whispers behind her as she ran up a flight of stairs in a blur. She no longer cared about people noticing she was in Midgar. As she approached her father's chambers, she noticed two guards outside the doorway.

"Ma'am you can't-" The guard cut his sentence short when Tifa stood in front of him. "Princess Tifa? What….what are you doing in Midgar?"

"Is King Edward in there?"

"Yes, my Lady." The other guard spoke up.

"Step aside gentlemen." Tifa demanded.

The guards looked at each, back Tifa, and then did what they were told. Tifa burst through the doors and saw her father sipping wine from the balcony. Her tears of pain turned into tears of rage. How could her father casually sip wine as if he's not about to publicly behead her mother naked in front of the entire nation of Midgar?

"Father, how could you?!"

Edward stopped sipping his wine and turned at the brunette who stood in his chambers unannounced. It took him a moment to realize that it was Tifa. He smirked as he sat the glass down and walked into the bedroom area. Five years have passed and Edward still looked the same. His dirty blond hair were in small spikes and his goatee was slightly darker than his hair. His green eyes shined brightly as he looked at his daughter and she flinched. The way he looked at her is the same way Grimoire looks at her from time to time.

"It's been five years, dear daughter." Edward couldn't help but to say his sentence in a sing-song way.

"Cut the shit, Father." Tifa spat. "Why are you beheading Mother?"

"Filthy mouth. Is that anyway to talk to your father, whom is also a king?" Edward questioned, his smirk never leaving his face.

"Answer the question!"

Edward laughed. "You come into my chambers unannounced and bark demands at me? What nerve you have you little bitch."

His words stung Tifa but she wasn't backing down. "Father, please answer the question."

Edward played with his goatee for a moment before responding. "She stabbed me in the chest in front of our guest from Nibelheim. Well, that's a lie. I honestly needed a good reason to behead her and when she attacked me that night, that was all the ammo I needed to kill her and find a new queen."

Tifa's eyes widened. "All my life you were so kind to me and Mother. What happened to you?"

"Different faces for different places." Edward shrugged his shoulders. "I played the loving father and king role oh so well."

"The entire time...it was a lie?" Her voice was beginning to shake, and her father's soft, maniacal laugh didn't help ease her.

"Of course. I never cared about Alice. I only cared about the throne. Alice, she's much like you. So headstrong about things. Always standing up for what she believed in. That's why that whore is in the dungeon now, awaiting trial."

"Whore?" Tifa felt the dryness in her throat and lips. It was like she was being hit by a herd of chocobos with each statement her father made.

Edward was now genuinely surprised. "Oh she didn't tell you when the two of you were having your little reunion in the dungeon?" When Edward saw the shocked look on Tifa's face, he laughed. "Oh dear Tifa. I knew about your little secret passageway and I knew you were going to come here to have one last heart felt conversation with dear Alice. I told most of the guards to go to the courtyard to give you some sort of false security that you were safe."

Tifa began to shake. Her entire life was a lie. The now dirty blond-haired man wasn't the father she have grown to love in her early life. Edward began to laugh again as he pushed his orange cape to the side and adjusted his crown; a crown he wasn't worthy of wearing, in Tifa eyes.

"You're so strong but that strength makes you so predictable. Your little whore of a mother fucked Grimoire to save you."

Tifa couldn't believe what she was hearing. "She slept with Grimoire?"

Edward snorted and pointed to the balcony. "Right over there during a welcoming party. I caught them in the act as she begged Grimoire to take you to Edge while he was fucking her from behind. It was such a beautiful sight to see. I didn't even stop them. I just left the room and pretended nothing happened so I wasn't surprised when Grimoire drafted up a peace treaty with Midgar."

"And you agreed to it?" Tifa choked.

"Not at first, but the power of pussy can really make a man think twice. Don't get me wrong, having an alliance with Edge have it's perks. Should we ever need help with a fight, they will assist us. Also they have rare goods that we like, and we have rare goods that they like. The selling point was when Alice offered Yuffie as my concubine after Yuffie had that accident."

Tifa gasped and slightly frowned at her father. "Yuffie had that chocobo accident shortly after I left Midgar. And….you're saying that….Mother offered Yuffie?"

"Is that what Yuffie told you? I'm also assuming Alice didn't tell you about her offering Yuffie to me." Edward smiled wickedly. "Alice served Yuffie on a silver platter. Yuffie more than likely didn't want you to know that she was being groomed to fulfill my every need as soon as you kicked and cried your way out of the castle. Yuffie was so innocent and so tight. She was my favorite. It's a shame she ran away."

Tifa couldn't stop the sobs and tears from escaping her.

"You seemed so shocked by all this information." Edward's eyes traced Tifa's legs as they slowly trailed up to her eyes again. "You seem so tense. Is your future king not fucking you properly?"

Edward began to slowly walk towards Tifa. Tifa was frozen. "I….I….I…."

"My dear daughter is still a virgin?" Edward was in front of Tifa and he cupped her face with his huge hand. He wiped away the tears from her eyes with his massive thumb. "You still have a tight pussy? I'm so surprised that Vincent haven't done anything to you or at the very least, Grimoire."

"Father….what are you doing?" Tifa managed to breath out.

"They will eventually. Maybe they will do it at the same time. Who knows."

Tifa broke away from Edward's touch and backed away from him until she collided with the double doors. Edward smirked and prevented Tifa from opening the door. He pressed his body against hers and she resisted the urge to throw up. She felt her own father's erection on her leg.

"I guess Alice neglected to tell you this as well." He leaned into her ear. Tifa hitched her breath. "You're so much like your mother. I was hooked on you since you learned how to walk. Your mother noticed my interest and never left me alone with you. She sent you to Edge so when I had the chance to kill her, you would be my queen."

Tifa sobbed silently as Edward continued his confession. The man that's responsible for her existence is also the monster that wanted her in ways that a father should never want from his daughter. Tifa was on the verge of breaking down right there.

"Giving you up was part of the agreement. I was so pissed but then I had Yuffie. She was so obedient and really got nasty when other women were involved. You may not be my queen, but how about I give you a welcome home present."

Tifa quickly kneed Edward in the groin when he groped her breasts. When he violently fell down, she spat on him and ran out the doors, nearly colliding with the guards. Edward was in pain but that didn't stop him from cackling. He waved for the guards to stand down as he got up from the floor still holding his cock that was now slightly erected.

* * *

Tifa was confused, flabbergasted, angry, and tired. She finally made it back to Edge, her heart still aching from the news she had received. When she ran from Midgar, she didn't look back. Not even when the entire town was cheering; nor when she heard the blade cut into her mother's neck and everyone roared in triumph along with her father, King Edward. King Edward…. Not suited for a king or a father. He doesn't deserve to exist. Tifa's heart ached so much that she didn't pat Ferrah goodnight. The poor chocobo cooed sadly as she watched Tifa walk away sorrowfully. The chocobo tamer was about to greet Tifa, but decided against it when he noticed the princess's state. He looked at her in worry as he made his way to Ferrah to make sure she was okay, taking note that Tifa didn't even bother to secure Ferrah in the stable.

Several guards and merchants stopped conversing with one another as Tifa walked by. Her presence and mood set a different tone in the castle. She heard soft, gasps as she walked by audibly sobbing and not caring who had saw her. Katherine noticed the princess and concealed her smirk. She knew Tifa had left the castle to see her parents. The anguish inside Tifa's heart pleased Katherine. There was no point in taking shots at Tifa tonight; the young princess was already broken enough. Katherine simply shot another smug look before continuing her way through the corridor.

Tifa finally arrived in her chambers where Sephiroth and Vincent sat at the mahogany desk discussing business with one another. They both stopped talking when Tifa entered the room and closed the door. She slowly looked up at the pair, her eyes were blood-shot red from all the crying she had done. Her hair was disheveled and she reeked of sweat, embarrassment, and Ferrah's feathers. No one said anything to one another. Vincent closed his notes while Sephiroth placed the quill on the table.

"Sephiroth, please excuse the prince and I." Tifa croaked.

For a moment, Sephiroth was perplexed and sat still briefly. He slowly got up from his chair when he noticed that the two needed to seriously talk and he wanted no parts in the conversation. Whatever the issue was, he was confident that Vincent would be able to take care of it. He bowed to both Vincent and Tifa and took his leave, closing the door behind him. Vincent stood up and came from behind the table. He never took his eyes away from Tifa and she never took her eyes away from him.

Tifa sniffed away a stream of snot from her nose and walked in front of Vincent and slapped him in the face when he was in arms length. He kept his head snapped in the direction she slapped him in before slowly turning his head to face her. His expression was emotionless. He didn't even flinch when she slapped him.

"How long have you known?" Fresh tears fell from Tifa's almond orbs.

"A year before my parents got you. Queen Alice personally wrote me and explained the situation."

She slapped him again. "She wanted to get you away from your father." Vincent continued. He licked his bottom lip to soften Tifa's blow. He felt it swell a little. "She knew your father was going to get to you so she made a deal with my father."

"She spread her legs open to your father to get that deal!"

Vincent paused for a moment. "I wasn't aware of that."

"Oh really?" She shoved him back onto the table. "What else are you 'unaware' of, huh?"

Vincent sighed. Tifa was hurting so bad that she was completely blind to the bigger picture. There was no point in explaining every detail to her to now. "Tifa, I'm sorry you found out the way you did. Your mother asked me to look after you. When you came into the castle five years ago, I was expecting you to be my age, not a child."

Tifa snorted. "And that's supposed to make me feel better?!"

"….Despite what I've been through, I still kept my word to not only you, but your mother as well."

Tifa frowned. The nerve of this man to speak about his so called struggle. She slapped him in the face again and then shoved him back onto the table. Vincent, never losing his cool, calmly adjusted his body on the table.

"What you've been through?!" She slapped his face again. His face was now a slight hue of red and his bottom lip was starting to noticeably swell. "What the hell have you been enduring, huh?! Not a damn thing!"

She shoved his chest one last time and collapsed onto the floor. Vincent looked at her go into a fetal position. His heart began to ache as he saw his wife be reduced to nothing. Last week they were on the same page and now they are on different chapters. The prince expected her to be upset with him when she returned from Midgar. Sighing again, Vincent pushed his body from the table.

"You may not agree with every decision I've done, but I hope you will come to at least understand my position as to why I've made them."

Vincent knelled down and tenderly rubbed Tifa's shoulders. Tifa was so broken that she didn't even bother to move away from his touch. Vincent sighed heavily as he stood up straight and went to the balcony. The young prince needed to clear his head.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Tifa was 10 years old, she was forced out of Midgar to Edge, a city filled with toxic, negativity, betrayal, scheme, and cruelty. As part of a peace treaty, she is to wed Prince Vincent Valentine. Over the years, the royal pair grows weary of the road they were destined to follow, and together, creates a new road. But no one said it wasn't going to be easy...

Tifa stood outside and shifted her weight on the stone balcony that was just outside her chambers. She couldn't bring herself to face Vincent. After the events that took place yesterday, she felt sick to her stomach. There was so much she needed answered. The fact that Yuffie withheld information from her was a low blow, and on top of that, Vincent's hands weren't exactly clean either. Though Vincent was still a child, she honestly couldn't blame the man, but she was so enraged and hurt by the situation that she couldn't think straight. She was supposed to meet Yuffie inside of the concubine chambers later on to take Yuffie to their training spot. Training would definitely help blow some steam off after yesterday's event. As she took a sip of of water, she heard the double doors open and close. It could only be Sephiroth or Vincent.

"May I have a word with you, Princess?"

Tifa took another hard swig of her water before turning towards the silver-haired man whom was standing behind her from the archway. "Did Vincent send you to talk to me?"

Sephiroth couldn't help but chuckle. "No. I'm here on my own merits."

Tifa nodded. "I'm listening."

Sephiroth took a deep breath before responding. It wasn't like him to meddle into royal affairs, but he figured he could at least try to rebuild this bridge between Vincent and Tifa. Both are still young, though Vincent is seven years older than Tifa, Sephiroth, along with Ramuh, feels as if these are the two royal figures to end the toxic pathology among royal families.

"Permission to be out of line a little, but Princess, please don't shut out Vincent."

Tifa sighed as she rolled her eyes and turned her back towards Sephiroth and looked at the sky. It was a clear-cloudless sky with a brisk breeze coming and going every now and then. "I should've known you would come in his defense."

"And I should've known you would be wayward." Sephiroth responded as he reached into his jacket pocket. He approached Tifa and she turned around with Sephiroth holding a stack of parchment in his hands. She took a closer look and it appeared that the parchment were letters. Giving Sephiroth a questioningly look, she took the stack from Sephiroth's hand.

"Look at them when you have time."

From the corner of his eyes, Sephiroth saw several of his knights readying their chocobos. Sephiroth was taking several of his men to a designated area to train all at once should the castle ever come under fire. It was routine to act out as if there was a major catastrophe, and what him and his men would do if such a situation should ever occur. He would drill them all day if he had to until he was satisfied with everyone's performance.

"I must go. Take care, Princess." Sephiroth bowed and left Tifa alone on the balcony.

Tifa continued to look at the archway that Sephiroth disappeared from until she heard the double doors open and close. She made a mental note to talk to Vincent about keeping the chambers locked at all times, even if one of them were in there. Tifa guzzled the rest of her water and walked inside her chambers. She placed the glass down on the nightstand that was on her side of the bed and sat down. There wasn't a lot of letters; each letter was one parchment long. She noticed that they were dated from five years ago. Throwing the other parchment aside on the bed, she hesitatingly opened the first letter. She was scared what it may contained.

_Dear Vincent_

_I'm Alice, Queen of Midgar. We have never formally met but please, hear me out. As you are aware, my daughter, Princess Tifa, will become your queen as part of the treaty. Prince Vincent, I beg that you take care of my daughter. Treat her right and give her a chance at life. Give her the life I wish I could give her._

Reading the letter made Tifa's heart swell. When she finished the letter, she felt the heaviness inside her heart. Her mother's and Vincent's words were true; she did reach out to Vincent, and Vincent actually kept his word. Tifa set aside the letter and grabbed another one that was dated a few days later. The wax residue showed that it was Edge's crest, which meant that this was Vincent's letter in response to Alice's reach.

_Dear Alice_

_I'm happy that you have reached out to me. I must say, I'm not comfortable with this. It's nothing against Princess Tifa but the way she is forced upon me isn't right. I can't do much, but I promise you I will protect her to the best of my ability._

Tifa couldn't help give the letter a soft smile. Vincent truly hated the role that was forced into him. She tossed the letter aside and read the next one that was dated a year from the one Vincent had sent her mother.

_Dear Vincent_

_The time has come for me to relinquish Tifa to you. I'm more than confident that you will take care of her to the best of your abilities. From what I heard of you, you are a caring young man. I understand you may have to bend your promise a little, but please don't break it._

Tifa paused for a brief moment as she cast the letter aside. As she has quickly became aware, the dynamic between a king and a queen was one-sided. The king was to make all of the decisions while the queens were to sit back and watch everything unfold, only truly being of service when it was time to give birth or open her legs. A queen's opinion never mattered, even though she was raised to believe otherwise. Her mother contacting Vincent was a huge risk, especially given the fact that Vincent is royalty. Their letters could've easily been intercepted by Grimoire, and Grimoire have never hinted he knew anything about the letters, which is a miracle within itself. Tifa couldn't help but question why Alice thought that Vincent could be trusted in the first place. Sure, she could have heard from people that he was a caring young man, but by whom? The situation made her go from angry to confused in just a split second. Something wasn't adding up. Since Vincent is a prince, and a prince is groomed to follow in the footsteps of the king, whom is also the father of said prince, then how could Alice know that Vincent was trustworthy? Nothing in the letters implicates that they have met prior to Tifa's removal from Midgar. Shaking her head, she picked up the next letter.

_Dear Alice_

_I wasn't aware that Tifa was a mere child. Are you not aware of how much harder this will be on me? My father has already informed me that I have to take her in front of him, my mother, the royal advisor, and commander of the army. I won't bring myself to do it, but her being so young and completely clueless to how living in royalty really is…. This is hard for me, Alice. I already see the way father looks at her and how mother sneers at her whenever she gets a chance. I didn't think that this would be such a hard task, but I made a promise to you and I will keep that promise. I hate that I have to be the one to tear her down, but I'd rather it be me than anyone else in this castle._

She remembered how shocked Vincent was when he first laid his ruby orbs onto her. There was no faking his shock that day. She quickly sat the letter aside and grabbed the last one.

_Dear Vincent_

_I'm sorry you had to find out that way. How's my girl doing? I pray she's okay. I'm in the dungeon of Midgar awaiting my execution. I attacked Edward during a dinner party he hosted. The royal family from Nibelheim, Princess Lucrecia and King Hojo were the guests. The way the three of them conversed with one another didn't feel right to me. I understand that Lucrecia was going to be your chosen queen, had Grimoire sided with Nibelheim instead of Edge. Vincent, you mustn't trust Lucrecia and Hojo. Edward, Lucrecia, and Hojo spoke cryptically between one another, but I feel an ominous plot afoot. Watch yourself and Tifa, please._

Tifa remembered how Grimoire's attitude a few meetings ago were a bit snippy. It was later confirmed by Vincent that Grimoire was questioning her value in the castle. The very thought made Tifa freeze. Sure, she was a princess, but if she was to be dethroned by unfortunate circumstances, she was dead for sure. Swallowing away a hard lump in her throat she quickly grabbed the letters and shoved them in the nightstand. She went to her closet and changed into her normal fighting attire. The last letter sparked Tifa. Though she didn't have all of the answers, she knew she had to seek them out herself, with Vincent by her side. She had to admit, she was rough on him last night, and was surprised that he didn't hit her back after assaulting him. She haven't seen him all day but when she did, she will give him a full apology.

* * *

Armed with the new knowledge from the letters, Tifa urged Yuffie to train without using magic. Yuffie frowned at first but gave in easily. Though the two young women didn't use weapons as much as using plain magic, they weren't completely ignorant to using a weapon. Tifa adjusted to not resulting in magic rather quickly than Yuffie did considering Tifa used fighting gloves and her moves were similar to ducking and dodging spells. Tifa just had to fight the urge to cast a spell whenever she dodged or did a tricky wall kick. Yuffie, however, used shurikens, and though they were difficult to master, Yuffie seemed to be doing a pretty good job in using it in offense. Yuffie was able to fight with only two shurikens, but eventually she wants to only use one in battle. She expertly made sure the shurikens returned to her every time she would strike Tifa or performed a tricky jump and catching it in midair.

Ramuh was beyond impressed by their performances. He provided gloves for Yuffie's hands and protective arm sleeves for Tifa so they wouldn't gravely hurt one another and raise suspicions. Tifa successfully avoided both of Yuffie's shurikens and side stepped out of the way, tripping Yuffie as soon as Tifa was on Yuffie's right side. Tifa smiled gleefully as she manged to duck just in time when both of the shurikens flew above her head and crashed on the other side of the room. Tifa placed her other foot onto Yuffie's chest and held her fist at Yuffie's face.

"Admit defeat."

Yuffie couldn't helped but grin at her friend. "Okay you win."

Tifa's smile grew wider as she helped Yuffie off of the floor, earning a standing ovation from Ramuh. The two women worked hard, and even without using magic, the women were phenomenal.

"I didn't know the two of you could fight so well without magic."

"Well living inside a castle we have to find other ways to defend ourselves." Yuffie replied and looked to Tifa, whom nodded in agreement with her statement. "Thanks for suggesting this. Maybe we should switch between the two fighting styles from time to time."

"Agreed." Tifa began to unfastened the fighting gloves and then worked on the arm sleeves. "Thanks for giving us everything we needed on short notice, Ramuh."

"It's no problem, Princess. Anything I can do to assist the future queen."

Both Yuffie and Tifa smiled at the elder man. "Despite the lewdness behind the reason why I'm here, I'm glad I'm here." Yuffie chimed in.

Tifa turned towards her friend. "I agree, but I do need to talk to you." Tifa paused for a moment and turned to Ramuh. "Is Sephiroth back from training the army?"

Ramuh shook his head. "Not that I'm aware."

"Do you happen to know where Vincent is at?"

"Now that you mention it," Ramuh paused as he placed his hand on his chin. "I haven't seen him at all today. Perhaps he went with Sephiroth to train?"

Tifa took a moment before responding and nodded. She thanked Ramuh and grabbed Yuffie by the arm and pulled her towards the exit. Yuffie continued to protest as Tifa dragged her from the secret area and through the library. When they were finally out of the library, Tifa released her grip from Yuffie.

"Take a quick shower and meet me at the center fountain in the courtyard as soon as you can." Tifa quickly explained.

Yuffie frowned. "No problem. Are you okay?" Yuffie was confused by her friend's behavior.

"Everything is fine. It's just that I need to talk to you without Sephiroth or Vincent interrupting us. It's very important."

"Give me twenty minutes and I'll be down there."

Tifa nodded and bid her friend farewell before making her way towards her chambers. She quickly tossed aside her fighting attire and took a quick shower. It was later on in the day and with Vincent and Sephiroth both being absent in the castle she doubt there was going to be a meeting. So she opted for a simple green dress. Nothing over-the-top but it was simple and elegant. Appearances meant everything for a princess or queen. They had to be beautiful at all times, even when there was nothing to do around the castle. Tifa took a quick look at her reflection from the mirror that was standing beside the sink before leaving the bathroom and the chambers.

"Did you enjoy your final moments with your whore of a mother?"

The viciousness in the tone made Tifa let out a huge, inaudible sigh. Tifa controlled herself as she closed the double doors leading to her chambers and turned to Katherine, whom had a smirk on her face. Katherine smiled gleefully when Tifa returned to the castle broken. To put into a more simpler way, Katherine wasn't a fan of Tifa. Tifa's roots are from Alice and Edward, both are terrible representations of royalty, in Katherine's eyes. Alice, being the whore she was, bent over for Grimoire without so much of a hesitation. Edward….well Edward is a king. All kings are the same. Katherine didn't appreciate Tifa's ways. Tifa would never be a true queen with the attitude she presents. Katherine sees the way Tifa maneuver about throughout the castle. Strong, prideful, and wayward. As if her name is on the damn castle.

"She did what she had to do to protect me." Tifa replied with a nice amount of sass in her voice. "You wouldn't know anything about protecting your child now would you?"

Katherine eyes widened. The princess have seriously lost her mind if she thought she was going to talk to her in that manner and think she could get away with it. "How dare you talk to me that way? You think because you're a little older you can get to speak to anyone however you please?!"

"No. Just you, Katherine."

The silence was thick between the two women as they glared at one another. Katherine took two steps forward towards Tifa. Tifa didn't back down from her stance. She was ready for Katherine's onslaughts.

"Things are going to get crazy in here. You better watch your step." Katherine gritted.

"Funny, I was going to say the same to you." Tifa snapped back.

Tifa walked away from Katherine after she gave the older woman an eye roll. The brunette didn't have time to deal with the queen's idle threats. She had bigger things on her plate before chewing and spitting out Katherine like tobacco.

* * *

Yuffie shoved a huge piece of pastry in mouth. She never could remember the name of it but it was delicious. Since arriving in the castle, Yuffie's place was a mixed bag. All the other concubines felt threatened and would make snide remarks under their breath as Yuffie walked by. The fact that she was had picked by Prince Vincent himself sent bitterness inside the other concubines. To be handpicked by the prince or king was an honor. Among the catty women, Shelke was the only one who welcomed Yuffie. Ever since their sexual encounter, Yuffie was able to unwind and relax with Shelke. Don't get Yuffie wrong; Shelke wasn't a true friend to her like Tifa was, but it was good to turn to someone every now and then, given the environment she lives in. Besides, the two naughty women would hook up from time to time. Yuffie enjoyed the sex with Shelke. It always put Yuffie in a state of bliss.

Yuffie smirked as she reminisced on the time her and Shelke were almost caught by one of the guards. They were having their usual session when they heard a guard hurriedly run towards their direction. Yuffie figured all of the moaning must've tipped the guard off. They practically did a tuck and roll inside one of the large pots in the garden area to avoid being caught. Outside of sleeping with a king or prince, Yuffie wasn't entirely sure if concubines were allowed to sleep with one another. She didn't want to take any chances seeing as Grimoire was very unpredictable.

Yuffie saw Tifa power walking towards her. She couldn't help but notice the irritated look on her friend's face. The young brunette only sighed as she could only think of two people that could wind up Tifa.

"Was it Katherine or Grimoire?" Yuffie moved over a little so Tifa could comfortably sit next to her.

"Katherine." Tifa crossed her right leg over her left leg after she sat down. "She's not why I wanted to meet you here." Tifa looked over her shoulder before continuing. She didn't want anyone to walk by and overhear their conversation. There are more enemies in the castle than allies. "Why didn't you tell me that my mother gave you to my father before I was forced to Edge?"

Yuffie painfully swallowed the rest of her pastry before looking at Tifa. The anger filled her almond eyes. Yuffie couldn't blame her friend. How could you possibly tell your best friend that you were being groomed to be her father's fuck toy? It's probably impossible for a person to utter that confession out.

"I didn't know how. It was bad enough that you were forced here. I didn't want you to know about the agreement."

"Yesterday when I left, did you not want me to go because I would discover the truth?"

Yuffie was shocked but understood why Tifa had to ask that question. "I was only concerned about you. Yes, I kept that away from you, hoping to sweep that secret under the rug, but I'm not surprised that you found out about me. I knew you were going to turn to Edward for answers."

"….Yeah." Tifa couldn't but shiver when thoughts of her father advancing on her like lion was hunting prey. Her own father. It hurt her core, but she had to move forward.

"My mother started reaching out to Vincent a few months before I got here. She even continued contact with him after I got here."

Yuffie couldn't stop her eyes from widening. "Really?" When Tifa nodded, Yuffie shook her head as she hung it low. "That only reinforces my statement. You gotta stick with Vincent."

"I''m slowly coming to terms with that. It isn't an instant realization but it's coming around. I first have to make amends with him."

The sound of the army coming into the front gate interrupted their conversation. Sephiroth was at the front with his chocobo, Jester. He got off of him and motioned for one of the chocobo tamers to take Jester back to his pen. Several men donned their armor with Neo Bahamut in the center of the armor as they walked proudly into the gate. Some of the men were getting off their chocobos while others dispersed to their guard duties. It must've sucked to train all day only to come back to the castle and continue their duties. As more of the men came through the gate, Tifa noticed the one black chocobo among the other chocobos. Vincent hopped off of Chaos and ordered one of the men to escort Chaos back to his stable.

"Speaking of Vincent, there he is. Let's meet up later for another session without magic."

Yuffie happily nodded. "You know where to find me. I'll kick your ass next time."

Tifa playfully scoffed at her friend as the two women went their own ways. The guards and knights bowed and acknowledged Tifa she walked by them, and in return, she smiled and replied. That was something different in the castle. Tifa was too young to understand at the time but now that she's fifteen, she realized that servants, guards, townspeople, and knights all spoke to her to be pleasant, and not out of fear. Over the years of attending events and meetings, the servants would dread going up to Katherine or Grimoire to fulfill their requests, but when it came to Tifa and Vincent, they were more relaxed. Tifa couldn't stop the smile that tugged her lips. Things were definitely changing inside of Edge.

Vincent gave a few orders to some of the soldiers and guards before turning to make his way inside the castle. He stopped in his tracks when he saw Tifa. Her smile formed a small, stern line. The sight of Vincent's swollen bottom lip brought back the error of her ways from yesterday.

"My Lord, may I have a word with you?"

Vincent nodded and ordered everyone to clear out and return to their assigned duties. Sephiroth showed Vincent a piece of parchment and the two men went over the parchment. Tifa couldn't help herself from admiring Vincent's leadership. Just now everyone did what they were told without any objections. It's a shame she's just now realizing the atmosphere. Perhaps, she should stop wallowing in despair about spilled milk and move forward with the cards she had been dealt. Sephiroth nodded and turned his head towards Tifa.

"Good day to you, Princess."

"And to you as well, Sir Sephiroth."

Vincent turned and began walking towards Tifa. The two of them walked away slowly under Sephiroth's watchful gaze. His efforts seemed to work. At least they were speaking again, which gave Sephiroth hope. With one final smile at the forced betrothed, the silver-haired commander turned on his heels and began his duties around the castle before retiring for the day.

"So, what is on your mind?" Vincent asked as they walked by one of the many fountains in the courtyard. Tifa sat down on the stone fountain and motioned for Vincent to do the same by lightly patting the space next to her on the stone. Vincent obliged. The mist from the running fountain gave his back the fresh coolness he needed. He'd been out all day practicing with the army. Though it was Sephiroth's job to lead the army in Edge's victory and offer protection of the royal family, Vincent still liked to keep his skills sharp. A king may have to defend himself at any given point, especially during an invasion. Vincent refused to be helpless and let his nation fall for the sake of his protection, even though it wasn't his nation to die for just yet.

"I wanted to apologize to you. You didn't deserve such cruelty." Tifa sighed as she reflected on her behavior. She was thankful for having Vincent. Had it been anyone else, she wouldn't have her head right now. "I was upset at the ugly truth and took it out on you."

She hung her head slightly. Vincent didn't respond. He made a small noise within his throat as he stared at the cobblestone ground. There were several cracks in the cobblestone and Vincent made a mental note to tell the gardeners about repairs first thing in the morning.

"I never really took a hard look at your position with everything." Tifa continued, never raising her head up. "With the marriage, your parents, my mother….you're a few years older than me, but it is still a lot for you to tackle. How old are you anyways?" She just realized that she doesn't have the faintest idea of his age.

"I'm seven years older than you so that would put me at twenty two." Vincent answered, never taking his gaze away from the cobblestone.

Tifa raised her head with slightly widened eyes. "You were seventeen when I first arrived? To be that much older than me and forced to marry a child….and was beaten badly for refusing to sleep with a ten year old _child_?!"

Her throat swelled as she could only imagine what was going on in Vincent's head when he first saw her five years ago. Neither of them hand a winning hand in this game from the start. Vincent let out a heavy sigh as he slowly turned his head towards Tifa. He saw the sadness in her face. A part of him wanted to consul her, but the other part of him wanted that pain in her to run its course. She needed to feel it. It was important to Vincent that Tifa grasp his position in the matter.

"Despite how things have played out, I will keep my promise to the end." Vincent finally spoke once he felt it was appropriate to speak again.

"That's not good enough." A tear slid from Tifa's right eye. The hurt she felt couldn't be masked. Tifa reached out to Vincent and placed her right hand on his left shoulder. The tender act released some tension inside of Vincent that he wasn't aware of.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Change is difficult but it's necessary. Look around you, Vincent. People answer to us better than Grimoire and Katherine. We can get the people of Edge to back us in due time. We still can save Edge. Your promise was to keep me safe, yes, but how safe will I be in this city with the state it's in?"

Vincent never tore his fiery, red orbs away from his wife's almond eyes. His wife….If someone would've told him that things would be the way they were between him and his wife five years ago, he would've laughed in their face. Putting aside the fact that their marriage was not only forced but also strained, and it has had it's few share of obstacles, the two have pushed forward for five years, and not once did either of them follow the toxic path that they are destined to follow. Marriages like theirs would've already ended; Either the princess would be beheaded or she would've broke and submit to her prince every command just like every queen before her.

"The burden is no longer yours. It's mine as well." Tifa continued when Vincent didn't respond. "I'm getting older and as I get older, I'm seeing things differently."

"You're becoming more wayward, stronger, and may I add, cunning?"

Tifa smiled a little and Vincent returned the gesture, which surprised Tifa. Neither one of them had much to smile about, but seeing a genuine smile on Vincent's face, even if it was as small as the one he's showing now, put her at ease a little.

"I'm getting there. Katherine said a few words to me. Something about it's about to get crazy in this castle and she's right. It is going to get a bit noisy in here."

"Lucrecia and Hojo…." Vincent wasn't surprised his mother made threats to Tifa about Lucrecia's and Hojo's arrival next week. He hasn't seen Lucrecia since Grimoire retracted his agreement with Nibelheim.

"I know you and Lucrecia have a past but my mother didn't trust her nor Hojo. What do you think of that?"

Vincent took a moment before responding. "I don't know what to make of it. I haven't seen Lucrecia in a little over six years. I've met her and Hojo in passing when I was younger, but I've never had personal conversations with neither one of them. Before Alice received her sentence, she had dinner with Hojo and Lucrecia and-"

"And while they were there, it seemed like they were talking in a certain way with my father. It's like they were planning something devious but she couldn't cipher out the solution." Tifa finished.

Vincent raised his eyebrow. "You didn't mention that last night."

Tifa snorted in a non-sarcastic way. She began rubbing small circles with the hand on Vincent's shoulder. "I may have had some help in understanding you."

It was Vincent's turn to snort. "Sephiroth…."

Tifa smiled. "Yeah…." A comfortable silence fell between them. The only thing that was heard was the friction from Vincent's fabric being rubbed by Tifa. A simple gesture but it made Vincent more comfortable in ways that he wasn't aware of before. "Him, Yuffie, and Ramuh are rooting for us." Tifa whispered.

"I'm aware." Thoughts of the three of them scolding the young royal pair about change and their marriage invaded Vincent's mind. Tifa smiled again and removed her hand from Vincent's shoulder. He was already missing the contact.

Another comfortable silence fell between them. They looked into each others eyes and saw their reflections. They spoke to one another with their eyes. This is the very first conversation the two of them had without any formalities. Just Tifa and Vincent. Getting to know things about one another. It was a small feat, but it made Tifa hopeful.

"When Lucrecia and Hojo arrive, I'm sure they will cause a scene." Vincent wasn't looking forward to the visit, especially since Alice sensed something was amiss. He had no reason to doubt Alice so he wouldn't start now.

"I'll be more than ready." Tifa replied in a determined voice. "I know you and I have been flip flopping, but I think it's time to stop feeling stuck and do something about this city, and it starts when Hojo and Lucrecia arrives. Their presence will not make me falter."

There was a fire slowly burning inside of Tifa and though it was dangerous, Vincent appreciated it. For the first time in five years, he felt hopeful in the situation he was in. "I'm looking for ward to it, Queen Tifa."

Tifa flashed Vincent a full smile. He couldn't help but take noticed how white and perfect her teeth were. Without warning, Tifa pressed a gentle kiss on Vincent's temple and quickly retracted, realizing what she had done. Vincent was just as stunned as she was.

"I'm sorry Vincent. I-

Vincent held up his hand. "There's no need to apologize."

Tifa nodded and quickly excused herself, leaving Vincent seated and consumed with his thoughts. For the future king, there was no point in denying the fact that his promise has been satisfied. He was simply guarding Tifa because he wanted to. It has been a fact that he admitted to himself for a while now. He was so consumed at looking at the royal dutiful aspect of his marriage that he never considered being an actual husband to Tifa.

For the future queen, she walked an emotionally parallel road alongside her husband. She was only fifteen; she still had a lot of growing to do, but one thing was certain: she could no longer feel sorry for herself. She was aware that Vincent was done protecting her out of obligation. The night she disappeared to find Yuffie showed her that Vincent did indeed care about her well being, but like Vincent, she never considered her _actual_ marriage with him. For the last five years, it's always been about doing this, that, or the other in order to live to see another day. Now that she's beginning to see her inner strength and Vincent's truths, she's at a slight pause when it comes to her marriage. She can't afford to ponder on the situation any further. Though she expressed to Vincent that she's not faltering anymore, words are just words. Words needed to be backed up by actions. If Hojo and Lucrecia- Lucrecia in particular- think they are going to march into this castle and dethrone her, they're in for a rude awakening.


	10. Chapter 10

As Lucrecia's and Hojo's arrival slowly approaches, the tension in the castle continues to grow more and more. Katherine and Tifa would silently bump heads and so did Grimoire and Vincent. Usually, the royal family would discuss meetings and upcoming events over breakfast, but Grimoire decided to push it back until lunch time, which was fine with Vincent. The young prince wasn't exactly pleased to see his father's mug in the early morning every time he attended a meeting.

The afternoon breeze is coming and going and Grimoire, Vincent, and Tifa are seated on the outside balcony where they normally have breakfast. They are waiting on Katherine before discussing anything. Tifa begins to eat her sandwich when Vincent gives her a small nod to dig in. Of course Grimoire is pleased with his son's actions. The king knows it is a front, but lately he couldn't tell if the young prince is bluffing or not. Vincent has been very demanding with his demands when it came to Tifa. From making sure the chocobos are in order for tonight's guests, to giving him a small massage after their meetings, and even go so far to command her to find Yuffie and bring her to their chambers. Vincent's sudden assertion makes the king smile from ear to ear. Perhaps there's still hope for his son.

Katherine finally arrives with her usual grumpy facial expression. She sits next to Grimoire, and immediately motions for a servant so she could get some food. Vincent ignores his mother's actions and begins to eat his food. Grimoire, however, isn't pleased in the slightest by Katherine's behavior. Katherine picks up her sandwich, but before she could take a bite, Grimoire swats her food away from her hands.

"Have some manners, and speak before eating." Grimoire growls. His eyes burns invisible holes into Katherine's forehead.

"Oh I'm sorry. If you want some attention, why don't you ask Shelke or Yuffie?" Katherine spits out harshly. She picks up her sandwich and takes a huge bite of it. Her glare is just as intense as Grimoire's. Vincent and Tifa sits in silence as they watched from across the table sitting side by side each other, and eating their food. This is a fight neither one of them wants to participate in.

"I'm going to ignore your disrespect and let you breath just this once." Grimoire grits. "I will smack you down if I must to teach you some manners."

Katherine swallows hard before responding. "I'm sorry, My Lord." It isn't genuine and everyone at the table knows it. "Good afternoon everyone. Please excuse my tardiness."

"That's better. I would hate for you to put on more makeup to cover up yet another mistake in front of our guests." Grimoire let his glare linger on Katherine before turning his attention to Vincent. "Everything on your end is ready?"

Vincent nods and swallowed his food before responding. "Yes. All of the guards are properly informed of their duties. And the chocobos?" Vincent turns to Tifa.

"Everything is in order." Tifa wipes her face with a napkin. "Ferrah and Chaos are to transfer our guests to the castle when they reach the gate with two guards as well."

Grimoire nods. "Good. Are the suits ready for tonight?" He turns to Katherine. He's pleased that she dropped her attitude.

"Yes, My Lord. You and Vincent can pick them up whenever you're ready."

Grimoire nods and excuses himself from the table. As soon as Grimoire left, Katherine snaps her head towards Tifa.

"You should pack your things now."

Tifa finishes off the rest of her sandwich before looking up at Katherine. "Why would I do that?"

Katherine snorts. "We all know you aren't serving my son like you should be. When Lucrecia comes tonight, she will take him from you, effectively dethroning you."

"Instead of worrying about me, you need to be worried about yourself. King Grimoire may replace you with Lucrecia. Have that thought ever crossed your mind?"

The shit-eating grin quickly fades from Katherine's face. Vincent observes Tifa closely. He didn't expect such boldness from her, but she did bring up an excellent point. Katherine glares daggers at Tifa before slamming her napkin down on the table and leaving the area.

"You've grown a lot these last few years." Vincent spoke as he motions for the servants to start clearing the table.

"It was time for a change." Tifa smiles as she turns to look at her husband. The breeze weaves throughout Vincent's raven hair. She couldn't help but to admire him for a split moment.

Vincent notices her stare and clears his throat as an attempt to get her out of her trance. "Anyways, I'm going to take a quick nap."

"Uh….yes." Tifa fumbles with her words as she stood up. "I'm going to have a quick session with Yuffie. We've been practicing without….well, you know."

Vincent raises an eyebrow as he got up from the table. Tifa shoots a quick glance at the servants and then flicks her eyes back at Vincent, who caught on to her gesture. He begins walking away from the table with Tifa following beside him.

"I can't risk any of the servants picking up on our conversations." Tifa spoke. "Grimoire may have some them spy on us. I'm sorry."

"No it's fine. It's actually smart of you to do that."

Tifa gives Vincent a small smile and the pair continues to make their way in the castle in silence. Tifa couldn't help but notice that Vincent would rub his chest every now and then. She wants to ask him what's wrong, but the look he gives her told her not to. It isn't a threatening look, but it said, 'Please don't ask' or something along those lines. When the two of them reached their chambers, Tifa walks to her armoire and places her earrings inside of it and then walks over to one of her many chests and grabs her fighting attire. She retreats into the bathroom while Vincent plops onto the chaise and sighs heavily. A few moments later Tifa emerges from the bathroom and waves goodbye to Vincent. He never saw her leave because his eyes were partly lidded. She notices the slight wince he made when she closed the door behind her. Something isn't right with him. Another bridge to cross when the time comes.

* * *

Tifa spent more time in her training than she originally planned. She's able to make it back to her chambers and take a nice, warm bath before taking a quick nap. When she arrived to her chambers, Vincent was soundly asleep on the chaise, however when she woke up, Vincent was nowhere to be found.

The sun is beginning to set peacefully. The constant clinking and clanking noises are echoing throughout the courtyard as knights moved about. Chocobos would cheerfully make noises as they followed the instructions of the knights. Tifa went over the balcony to scan the area. A smile tugs the corner of her lips when she sees Ferrah donned in Edge's armor. Tifa worked hard to get Ferrah that armor. That piece of armor alone says that her feathered friend is accepted into Edge.

On the other side of the courtyard, Tifa sees Chaos trot gracefully along the cobblestone that one of the knights directed him. Chaos coos when he sees Ferrah and the two over-sized birds coos together as they happily flap their wings. Tifa couldn't help but snort in glee. The scene is almost too ironic to witness.

Her attention is caught by two green chocobos pulling a carriage along by their reigns. It stops at the entrance and two knights walks to the carriage and did a small inspection before giving the guard the okay to let the carriage come through. There's a three-headed dog-like creature adorned on the matte black metal that the chocobos are wearing. Tifa recognizes the fiend as Cerberus. It was a fierce creature that have said to have fought alongside Nibelheim long ago, as Neo Bahamut did with Edge. Moments later, Sephiroth appears, from what Tifa could guess, the entrance of the castle, with his chocobo companion, Jester.

Sephiroth makes a few motions and said a few sentences before two figures emerges from the carriage. There's an older man that appears to be or at least around Grimoire's age. He has shoulder-length raven hair and wore an all black suit and white tie with perfectly circular glasses on his face. Because of the distance, Tifa couldn't gauge his facial features, but judging by Sephiroth's body language, she could tell that Sephiroth doesn't think too highly of the man. His body language instantly changes when he turns his attention to the other figure. A woman with brunette hair falling gracefully to her hips approaches the two figures. Her ruby-crafted crowned gleams brightly against the setting sun. She clutches the sides of her green dress in an effort to keep it from dragging on the ground. There's some silver stitching and designs over the chest and hip area. The dress is sleeveless and clings to the woman's body gracefully. Admittedly, she's gorgeous. Tifa couldn't deny that fact.

Sephiroth motions for one of the knights to bring over Ferrah and Chaos. The silver-haired commander helps the woman mount Chaos and the older man mounts Ferrah. Tifa was against her feathered friend to accompany the unwanted guests, but Grimoire demanded it. She will fight that fight with Grimoire another time. Sephiroth exchanges a few more words before giving Jester a quick tap on his sides to walk towards the entrance.

 _Let the games begin._ Tifa thought to herself. As if on cue, Yuffie comes into the room with a red dress covered in plastic. Tifa had asked Yuffie to make the dress for her and Yuffie happily obliged even though the request was on short notice. Yuffie would do anything that involved Edge's impeding change. She too has to make the best of her cards. There's no going back to Midgar to start life anew.

Yuffie places the dress on the bed and is greeted by Tifa's smile. Tifa peels back the plastic cover while Yuffie runs over to the balcony. Tifa chuckles as Yuffie scoffs.

"And Katherine thinks that this woman is going to come in here and dethrone you?"

"She is closer to Vincent's age and his original handpicked queen." Tifa answers back while her smile widens at her dress.

Yuffie walks back into the bedroom. "She's cute but she's just a typical princess trying to court herself a prince. That dress is something I would wear. With this dress," Yuffie points to the red garment with a smile. "you'll knock everyone dead. It's the right amount of sass, class, and sexiness. Heads will definitely turn when you make your entrance."

Tifa smiles gleefully as she grabs her dress and runs to her side of the bed where her gold-rimmed cheval mirror stood. Yuffie brings the mirror closer to Tifa and happily untied Tifa's robe. The silk garment pools underneath Tifa's feet with the plastic cover from the dress joining it as well. Yuffie kicks the items out of the way as Tifa steps into the dress. Tifa is happy that Yuffie didn't deviate from her measurements in the slightest. Yuffie ties the velour ribbon-like end in the back as Tifa observes herself. The dress itself is red with gold trimming at the bottom. There was a split on the left side that stops midway up her thigh. The fabric hugs her body well but it's still comfortable to move around in. The chest area was more like a corset but gave it a more classy feel to it with the long sleeved lace. Yuffie ties the matching valor train around Tifa's neck and fluffs at it, taking a few steps to admire her work on such short notice.

When Tifa turns, she smiles happily and places her hands on her hips in a determined manner. The fire is beginning to burn within her abdomen and she's ready to unleash it on her enemies.

"You look like a diamond." Yuffie awes.

"All thanks to you." Tifa hugs her best friend. "I will fill you in on the details later."

Yuffie nods. "Okay. Don't forget to make an entrance."

With that, Yuffie leaves the glowing princess to her thoughts alone. She inhales deeply and exhales deeply as well. Her nerves are starting to get to her as realization what she's about to do is starting to kick in. No more hiding. She's ready to take matters into her own hands. It may have taken her years, but that was okay in her almond eyes. Reclaiming something that she's destined to have is worth the trouble. Though her support system could fit on one hand, it's a strong system.

* * *

Sephiroth guides Lucrecia and Hojo through the entrance with Grimoire and Katherine waiting to greet them. Grimoire instantly smiles malignantly at Hojo.

"It's been a while, Hojo."

Hojo returns the same deadly smile. "Far too long, Grimoire."

"King Grimoire and Queen Katherine, it is a pleasure to see the two of you." Lucrecia smiles sweetly as she bows.

"The same can be said here as well." Katherine beams and motions for Lucrecia to follow beside her while Hojo follows beside Grimoire. "How is everything in Nibelheim?"

"Great." Lucrecia answers as she releases her dress from her tight grasp. "How's Prince Vincent?"

"Straight to the point, I see?"

Lucrecia smiles. "Queen Katherine, we both know how bad I want Vincent to be my king."

"I know." Katherine hushes Lucrecia as Grimoire and Hojo walks by the pair, completely oblivious to their conversation. The two men enters the main hall as they cackled about stories they exchanged between one another. "If it was up to me, my son would be your king. Grimoire seems to think that siding with Midgar was a better choice, but I know better. He only sided with Midgar because that whore Alice spread her legs for him."

Lucrecia smirks. "So Vincent's queen comes from a family full of whores?"

"Yes but still Grimoire has kept her here for five years. It's time for that little bitch to go!"

Lucrecia places her hand on Katherine's shoulder as a gesture of reassurance. "That's why I'm here. I'll aid you to get rid of her. I've always wanted Vincent as my king and he will become my king. No matter the cost."

Katherine smirks. "That's what I like to hear. Let us mingle for a bit."

The two women enters the main hall and begins to mingle with the other guests. As the minutes slowly ticked by, guests from Nibelheim are slowly filling the main hall. Advisors, financial planners, knights, and close family that are related to the royalty of Nibelheim happily mingled with the royal people of Edge. Servants are weaving in and out of everyone paths as they offered wine and hor d'oeurves. For once in Edge, things seems to be normal.

Hojo and Grimoire are standing at the head of the main hall where the thrones are placed. The two men catches up on events since their last encounter.

"So, are you pleased with your decision to side with Midgar?" Hojo curiously asks as he takes a sip of his wine.

"It was nothing personal. Midgar offered more. Besides, I couldn't deny Alice's request."

The two kings cackled as their glasses clashed with one another. "You are one lucky bastard, Grimoire. All things considered, I'm glad you sided with Midgar. Lucrecia wasn't ready to walk the path of a queen."

"Oh?" Grimoire raises his eyebrow. "What makes you say that?"

"Her refusal to submit was disgusting, but she finally came around. Now we have Rocket Town at our disposal." Hojo grimaced as he finishes the rest of his wine. Grimoire simply grunts. Hojo is pulled away by one of his advisors before Grimoire could question him any further. Grimoire frowned as his guest is being pulled away. He would dive deeper into his conversation with the insane king later, but for now, he has to put the conversation on the back burner.

From the entrance of the hall, he saw his son greet their guests as he approaches him. His son is a fine, dapper gentleman for the evening. He dons an all black suit with a red velour tie. His red cape was also velour and is bond together by a gold chain, with Neo Bahamut etched in gold on the back of his cape in gold trimmings.

Vincent nods towards his father as he approaches him.

"Everything okay, Father?" The young prince notices his father doesn't have his normal smug look. That didn't sit well with Vincent at all. When Grimoire isn't himself, it makes Vincent uneasy.

"I'm not so sure." Grimoire replies quietly. The response was more for himself, not Vincent. "Is dinner almost ready?"

Vincent nods. "It should be ready any minute now."

Grimoire grunts as he takes another sip of his wine. Vincent is confused. His father didn't immediately grill him about Tifa or himself. He wonders if the vile king realized that Tifa isn't in the hall yet. She's late, and he is certain that he told her what time to be in the main hall. Though he's glad that neither Grimoire or Katherine made a comment about Tifa's tardiness, it makes him nervous that she isn't here. He thought their little conversation smoothed some things out between the two of them last week. Maybe they are not on the same page like he had thought.

His thoughts about Tifa's absence and his father's unusual behavior are interrupted when Katherine and Lucrecia approached the father-son duo. Lucrecia…. She is still as beautiful as he remembered. She smiles brightly at him as she rubbed his arm.

"Prince Vincent, it's so good to see you."

"Likewise." Her touch is foreign and it makes him uncomfortable. He doesn't want to flinch away out of respect, but it is mostly so he doesn't have to hear his father's words. Lucrecia may be beautiful, but she's not his future queen.

Katherine grins at her son while Grimoire remains silent, his focus is still on Hojo's odd choice of words. He couldn't tear his attention from the man as he and his advisor from Nibelheim continue to converse with one another.

"It's been such a long time since the two of you have seen one another." Katherine comments. "You two look wonderful together."

Vincent scoffs at his mother silently. He's well aware of his mother's intentions. Though he have known Lucrecia for some time, he can't say that he _knows_ her. He never had a one on one conversation with her. Her beauty is the only thing he knew. It was nothing against Lucrecia, but Vincent wasn't thrilled with the idea of her becoming his queen. Don't get him wrong, he wasn't thrilled about Tifa becoming his queen either, but it was the way Lucrecia carried herself. The skimpy dress she's wearing now, her willingness to cater to his every need, and dare he say, the disturbing aura she's projecting onto him. It's almost as if she's trying to force him into something. Women would be pleased that they've dodged a major bullet like an arranged marriage, but to his surprise, Lucrecia was angry. Why is that? In his eyes, she was nothing but a typical princess, but with a vendetta, and that makes him worry. Alice's words echoes in his head over and over again. He couldn't shake her words. It was her dying words to him before she was brutally murdered. Throughout his years of secretly contacting her, the older woman never steered him in the wrong direction. It would be foolish on his part to simply ignore her wisdom.

"Don't you agree, My Lord?" Katherine questions as she turns to Grimoire, who pulls his attention from Hojo.

"Yes, yes. They look great indeed."

Katherine frowns and cut her eyes to Lucrecia as if to say _'See what I mean?'_. Lucrecia smiles as she rubs Vincent's arm more. He has grown so much since the last time she had saw him. They were teenagers sitting across from one another from a table on the main balcony discussing the treaty terms. His beautiful red eyes and long raven hair took her breath away. A god in the flesh.

"Ah Lucrecia!" Hojo spoke as he approaches the group. "There you are. I see you've found Prince Vincent."

"He found me like I knew he would."

The pair, along with Katherine, exchanged a pleasant laugh. Vincent, and even Grimoire, are not amused. _Where is Ti-_ Vincent's thoughts are interrupted by several audible gasps coming from the front of the main hall.

Vincent's lips are slightly agape as he sees Tifa make her way through the room. She flashes her beautiful smile among the guests from Nibelheim and even shakes hands with a few of them. The mood in the room immediately shifts as more people looks at Tifa. The corners of Vincent's lips curled into a small smile. _So this was her plan all along. She_ w _anted to make an entrance._ People happily stepped aside as Tifa walks gracefully towards the small group that are near the thrones. She notices the smug looks on Katherine's and Lucrecia's face. Grimoire and Hojo awes in malevolence as the young princess begins her trek up the small flight of stairs, her heel clicking gracefully against the marble floor. None of them matter; Vincent is the only one she's focused on.

"My Lord, I'm so sorry for my tardiness. I lost track of the time." She places her hand on his lean shoulder and wedges her body between himself and Lucrecia, pushing Lucrecia over. The move is forced, but is performed flawlessly with no hassle from Lucrecia. Tifa's chest grazed Vincent's arm and she places her free hand on her hip, her other hand is loosely intertwined with Vincent's arm. She turns and smiles at the group.

"No need to apologize." Vincent turns his attention to Hojo and Lucrecia. "This is Princess Tifa."

"Again, I'm sorry for being so late."

"Looking like that, there's no need." Hojo seductively traces Tifa's body from head to toe as he pushes his glasses closer on his face. "So much beauty."

Tifa wants to shudder under Hojo's gaze. The man is an absolute creep.

"Dinner is served!" One of Edge's servants called out.

Everyone makes their way to the dining area. Vincent and Tifa are the first out of the small, royal group to walk away from the huddle.

"That was tense." Tifa notes as she rests her hand on her sides and walked along Vincent's right side. "I thought Grimoire was going to make a comment."

"So did I." Vincent replies in almost a whisper. He feels several pairs of eyes staring into their backs as they walked ahead. "Nice entrance, nonetheless."

Tifa grins. "Thanks. Sorry I made you worry, but it was needed. I had to show Lucrecia that I mean business when it comes to my role in this castle."

"I think she got the hint, but she also looks like she has something up her sleeves."

Tifa frowns as the pair turns into the dining area. There are tables toward the back of the area where all the other visitors from Nibelheim are being seated along with members of Edge. There is a mahogany table seated for the kings, queen, prince, and princesses in the center of the room.

"I'll inform you later. For now, stay sharp."

Tifa nods at her husband as she sits across from him. The men sits on one side while the women sits on the other side. Tifa is definitely uncomfortable with sitting between two women that hates her existence, but she couldn't afford to back down. Their threats and glares wouldn't faze her. She has come too far mentally to falter. Katherine and Lucrecia shoot glances at each other before turning their attention to the men across from them. Katherine, Tifa, and Lucrecia are seated from across Grimoire, Vincent, and Hojo, respectively. Silver platters are gently placed in front of them as each servant uncovered their food. It smells delicious and Tifa couldn't wait to dig in.

Grimoire stands up and taps his fork on his glass, ceasing all conversations in the hall.

"To our visitors from Nibelheim, welcome to Edge. I'm glad we can all break bread together in this joyous occasion." Several people raises their glasses in response to Grimoire's words. "Everyone, enjoy your stay here."

The room booms with cheers as silverware clash against one another. Grimoire cut into his steak and begins eating. Grimoire's actions are beginning to confuse the young prince even more. There are no smart comments, rudeness, or crass from the king. The king's behavior worried the red-eyed prince without a doubt, but he would grasp this moment of unusual behavior from his father and savor it.

"So, what brings the two of you here after so many years?" Katherine questions as she stuffs a forkful of mashed potatoes into her mouth.

"We wanted to know if we could join forces with Edge." Hojo answers. "Rocket Town is under our territory, and we are willing to extend our newfound resources with Edge like the original treaty suggested."

"Edge has no intention of relinquishing any territory to any nation." Grimoire spoke.

"You're not relinquishing anything." Hojo presses. "Just merely sharing the wealth. Edge and Nibelheim could dominate the entire Planet."

"Greed will only hurt us in the long run." Vincent cuts in. "Edge is fine with the position it's in. Besides, our treaty with Midgar has nothing to do with conquering the nation."

"This isn't your nation to speak for, boy." Hojo grits.

"He is the heir to this nation. Watch your tongue." Grimoire warns.

Grimoire coming to Vincent's defense is simply unheard of. Everyone looks at Grimoire as he shoves another piece of steak into his mouth, his expression cutting Hojo into a thousand pieces as he chews.

Lucrecia clears her throat. "We don't mean any harm. All Father is suggesting is that Edge merge with Nibelheim. Each nation would have complete control of Rocket Town and eventually Midgar."

"I don't think you understand, Lucrecia." Vincent spoke again and takes a sip of his wine. "Edge has no intention of taking over Midgar. Midgar is an independent nation just like Nibelheim and Edge."

"Then what's the point in having the treaty?" Lucrecia questions.

"With all due respect, that isn't any of your concern." Vincent didn't mean to snap, but Lucrecia's behavior is already grating his nerves.

"It's because of this tramp here." Katherine interjects. She glares at Tifa, who had just finished her green beans. She wanted to remain silent for as long as she could. It was feeble in thinking that she could go through the entire dinner without having to speak.

"Because of her whore of a mother, Edge was stuck with the shit end of the stick."

"I concur." Hojo spoke, shooting a vile sneer at Tifa. "But you can't deny the beauty in this girl, Katherine."

Katherine snorts. "I will never accept her as the future queen of Edge."

"That position belonged to me." Lucrecia spoke up. She balls her hand into an angry fist.

"But I am the future queen of Edge." Tifa spits venomously at the two attacking women. It's bad enough she has to sit between the two of them, but she refuses to sit by and allow Katherine and Lucrecia to gang up on her. If there will be consequences to deal with afterwards, then so be it. It's time she stood up for herself.

"And whether you like it or not, the both of you will have to accept that."

No one spoke at the table. Tifa casually went back to eating her food without speaking another word. Katherine turns to Grimoire in shock.

"Are you not going to correct her?"

"She isn't my queen to correct." Grimoire's smile quickly fell as it is replaced with a glare. "You one the other hand needs to be corrected. Adjust your attitude before I adjust it for you."

Katherine swallows away a large lump then turns to Vincent for answers.

"She simply spoke facts." Vincent shrugs. "There's nothing to correct."

Katherine glares at her son before turning back to Grimoire, who still has a grim look on his face. The entire room fell silent when Grimoire slaps Katherine with his back hand. She cries out in pain as Grimoire continues to leer over her.

"I think we should leave." Hojo spoke as he got up from the table. Lucrecia agrees with him and follows along.

People from the tables in the back of the room begins to rise and follow their leaders. The servants guides them to the entrance of the castle, not knowing what else to do. Members of Edge quickly excused themselves as they retreat to their proper places in the castle. Only Vincent, Grimoire, Tifa, and Katherine remained in the room.

"I told you to adjust your attitude or I would adjust it for you."

"You know she isn't our idea of a queen!" Katherine yells. "Why is she even here?! She can't even fuck our son and serve him properly! She walks into the hall super late, speak out of line, and now you're suddenly agreeing with Vincent?!"

Even Vincent has to admit that his mother spoke the truth with her last statement. For the last five years, Grimoire had disapproved of how his son handled Tifa. This is the first time in five years that the harsh father agreed with anything Vincent has done or said.

"You dare question my judgment?"

Vincent senses the patience in his father is wearing thin. He cautiously steps away from the table. He makes quick eye contact with Tifa to do the same, and she does with no hesitation.

Katherine glares at Tifa and then back at Grimoire. "Maybe Cissnei was right."

Glass shatters everywhere and Katherine falls to the floor, as blood gushes from the right side of her face. Tifa yelps as she steps back and collides with Vincent. He wraps his arm protectively around her waist as the young pair observe the scene unfold in front of them. Grimoire walks over to Katherine's cowering body.

"Don't you dare ever question me again!" Grimoire begins to walk away but suddenly turns back to Katherine. He looks at his wife in disgust and spits on her. "Also, don't ever mention her name again."

Grimoire pivots on his heel and leaves the room. Katherine peers at Tifa and Vincent. She snorts when she notices the way Vincent held Tifa in a protective manner. She laughs as she got up from the floor and grabs the cotton napkin to wipe away the blood that's on her face. The blood has already ruined the floor and her dress.

"You stand there in my son's arm like you're protected." Katherine growls. She slams the bloodied napkin on the table and grabs another one, flicking away any glass shards as she brought it to her face and held the cloth in place over the fresh wound. "He won't be able to save you in the end."

"Mother, that's enough."

"Son, stop fighting against the inevitable."

"I said that's enough!" Vincent releases his grasp on Tifa's hip and practically leaps in front of Katherine's face. Katherine smirks at her son while Tifa gently pulls Vincent a footstep away from his mother.

"Let's retire to our chambers." Tifa calmly suggests.

"Listen to your whore."

"You have no right to speak to her in that manner." Vincent's blood boils heavily against his flesh. He feel the heat rise within him. The only thing that kept him somewhat composed is Tifa's gentle words and pulls.

After a few more pressing suggestions of leaving the room, Tifa finally convinces Vincent to walk away. She doesn't want him to do anything that he would regret later on. The young, betrothed walks away, leaving a bloody Katherine to her thoughts.


	11. Chapter 11

Three months went by since Hojo's and Lucrecia's visit. The castle have shifted into an even more uncomfortable state, something Tifa never thought could happen. Katherine would often sneer at the young princess, and would often be corrected by Grimoire. Tifa could've sworn that Katherine's face was turning purple from all the slaps she had endured over the months. Makeup can only cover so much. She didn't understand why the queen would willingly take a beating, especially knowing Grimoire's evil ways. Grimoire and Vincent didn't bump heads as much since the dinner. They still disagreed on Vincent's treatment to Tifa, but they did agree on one thing: keeping Hojo away from Edge.

Since the dinner, Hojo have written several letters to Grimoire, asking him to reconsider his proposal. Grimoire may be a maniac, but he wasn't stupid. Edge wasn't going to fall under territory of another nation, even if Edge were to have control over Rocket Town. Ruling other nations weren't Grimoire concern. All he cared about was Edge in his on sick, twisted way.

Today is another ordinary day inside the castle. Grimoire went over business over breakfast with Katherine, Vincent, and Tifa. Yuffie and Tifa spends more time training in secrecy under Ramuh's watchful eyes. Sephiroth continues to train his men as hard as he could in case of an emergency. Tifa tends to Ferrah, and now Chaos, all while trying to avoid Grimoire and Katherine as much as she could. She could feel Grimoire staring at her in pure lust at times during meetings or in passing. The act truly disgusts her. She never tells Vincent; the young prince have enough to worry about as is. It seems like Katherine and Grimoire takes turns in grilling Vincent about every little thing.

Tifa finishes playing with Chaos and Ferrah and walks to the entrance of the castle, greeting the guards and knights as she walks by. Everyone greets her with warm smiles. It is something she's starting to get use to. As the weeks went by, she noticed that everyone around the castle and the townspeople never greeted Grimoire or Katherine with such warmth. There was at a point in time that no one responded to Vincent well, but as time went on, everyone warmed up to the red-eyed prince. It isn't the prince's fault that his father is the way he is.

Tifa enters her shared chambers and immediately goes into the bathroom. She keeps Chaos and Ferrah cleaned and well groomed but chocobos have their own odor. It isn't a bad odor, but the idea of smelling like chocobos for the remainder of the day doesn't sit too well with her. After a few minutes in the shower, she emerges from the bathroom and goes to her dresser. Vincent is still away, and she's hoping to see him soon. As soon as she puts on her boots, Vincent enters the chambers. She turns and smiles at him.

"My L….Vincent." Vincent encouraged Tifa to call him by his first name when no one was around. There's no point in being so formal if it was just them two; Sephiroth, Ramuh, and Yuffie are also exceptions. "Are you busy?"

Vincent sits a stack of letters on the bed as he takes his suit jacket off. He dons a silk, red shirt and black dress slacks. He looks more handsome without having a cape on. A slight hue of red flashes on Tifa's face at the thought.

"I need to go through these letters then I'll be free for the remainder of the day." Vincent notices the blush on her face but doesn't say anything about it.

He walks over to his small drinking bar and grabs a bunch of grapes from the dish. Grapes and wine would be Vincent's break, lunch, and dinner if his body would allow it. He isn't a big vegetable eater but the prince would devour fruit all day if he could.

"Well, I was wondering if we could leave the castle?" Tifa gnaws at her inner cheek when Vincent studies her slowly. "I just want some fresh air." She quickly adds. "We could use our anniversary as an excuse if it makes Grimoire suspicious."

Vincent groans as he shoves another grape into his mouth. "Five years, huh?"

"Six." Tifa corrects. "I was ten when we wedded. I turned sixteen three weeks ago." She further clarifies when Vincent gives her a confused look.

Vincent turns his back towards Tifa, unable to look her in the eyes. His wife is now sixteen, and he wasn't even aware of it. To his knowledge, she didn't mention it, nor celebrate it. Birthdays are a special occasion that everyone yearns for. It's a person special day. No one deserves to have that taken away from them. She had six birthdays since arriving in Edge and they've never celebrated one.

"What day?"

Vincent's question takes the young princess by surprise. She stops biting her inner cheek. "May 3rd."

Vincent grabs a few more grapes and slowly turns to Tifa. "Then let's celebrate it."

Before she could react, Vincent grabs her by the arm and pulls her out of the chambers. When Vincent felt Tifa matched his walking speed, he releases her arm and let her walk freely on his right side. Tifa couldn't stop the smile forming on her face.

"You really mean it, Vincent? What about the letters?"

"They can wait. We can take Ferrah and Chaos with us."

Tifa happily darts ahead of Vincent, leaving the slightly smiling prince in her dust. She waves at Sephiroth as she runs out of the castle. Sephiroth chuckles at the happy princess, and sees his future king walking not too far from behind her.

"She sure is happy."

Vincent chuckles. "Yeah. We're leaving the castle for a few hours. She turned sixteen three weeks ago."

Sephiroth doesn't bother to hide his shocked face. "Is she really sixteen? My, she is growing to be quite the young lady."

Vincent nods. He sees Tifa saddle up Ferrah. The giant white bird flaps its wings happily with Chaos right behind her.

"Are you also aware that today's your anniversary?" Sephiroth speaks, cutting into the prince's thoughts.

"I'm aware." Silence falls between the two men. He hates his anniversary for all the wrongs reasons. "It's the same time, I assume?"

Sephiroth silently nods. Vincent leaves without another word being spoken between the two men. He catches up to Tifa as she hops onto Ferrah. Vincent gives Chaos a quick pat before hopping onto him as well. He taps Chaos's sides and motions for Tifa and Ferrah to follow them. The royal pair exits the castle without any questions being asked or being hassled by the guards.

* * *

It doesn't take long to reach the city. Chaos and Ferrah are experienced chocobos so a small trip to the city doesn't bother the over-sized birds in the slightest. There's a small stable at the entrance of the city where royal diplomats place their chocobos whenever they entered the city. For the safety of the chocobos, they aren't allowed in the city. There have been a few chocobo accidents years ago that involved children being injured. Grimoire immediately placed the law into effect when the last accident happened. It's one of the few good things Grimoire has done during his ascension as king.

Vincent and Tifa secures Ferrah and Chaos in the stable and walks side by side into the city. They are immediately recognized by several citizens. Some awe and others points their fingers. Tifa smiles and waves as she confidently walks along side her husband. It feels good to put the stuffy castle behind her, even if it's just a few hours.

Tifa runs to the cotton candy stand at the end of the entrance. The man is so surprised by Tifa's presence that he almost drops another customer's cotton candy. Tifa apologizes and asks the man for a serving. _She's so animated at times._ Vincent thinks himself as he studies Tifa. He catches up to her as the man hands her the fluffy treat.

"No charge, Princess Tifa." The man waves his hand.

Vincent reaches into his pocket and hands the man a handful of gil. The man looks at the money and back at Vincent with widened eyes. "You have a family to feed. We don't expect free passes because we live in a castle."

"Yes sir, Prince Vincent." The man happily takes the gil. "I appreciate your kindness! You have a blessed day."

Vincent nods and absentmindedly follows behind Tifa. Being away from the castle is definitely paying off already. He watches carefully from a slight distance as his wife takes in Edge's beauty. She shoves a huge piece of cotton candy into her mouth, the twinkle never leaves her face. There's a woman dressed like a chocobo that catches Tifa's attention.

"Is there a special event going on in the city today?" Tifa asks.

The woman's voice is suddenly stuck inside her throat. "Princess….Princess….Ti….Tifa?!"

Tifa nods. "Yes. Is there an event going on today?"

The woman snaps out of her daze. "Yes! Yes there is! Where are my manners? There's a fireworks show that depicts the old war from long ago later on tonight."

The woman hands Tifa a brochure that details the information. Tifa takes a quick scan and quickly turns to Vincent with hopeful eyes. Vincent gives her a small smile and nods. Tifa squeals in delight as she turns back to the woman. "Where exactly will it be at?"

The woman points to a pier that isn't too far from their current location. "Over there. 8 pm sharp."

Tifa smiles and thanks the woman. For the next few hours, Tifa enjoys herself, interacting with the citizens and playing with the local children. Vincent silently stands back and watches Tifa play tag with some children that are walking by. She would occasionally run up to Vincent and take a bite of her cotton candy that he's holding until it was completely consumed. Eventually, the parents pulls their children away from Tifa, which the children aren't too happy about. Tifa happily waves at the children and continue to make her way through the city, with Vincent still close behind her.

The royal pair are stopped several times to have their pictures taken. Vincent was never a photo person. Perhaps he should've asked at least one guard to escort him and Tifa through the city. He hates bugging the guards for something so trivial, but the constant picture-taking is beginning to grate him, but he pushes through, for Tifa. She seems to really not mind taking picture and interaction with the people, especially the children. She's so motherly around them. Vincent frowns at the thought. How dare he think about Tifa in that manner? She's only sixteen and he barely knows his wife. During these past few months, he have gotten to know her better, but there are still some things he doesn't know about her. What's her favorite food? What's her favorite color? Not to mention that she's underage.

"Vincent, are you okay?"

Vincent snaps out of his daze and looks at Tifa. "I'm fine. Are you enjoying yourself?"

Tifa happily nods. "You don't seem like you're enjoying the crowd much. How about we enter that antique music shop?"

Vincent sees the shop in question. It seems to have no occupants, which Vincent is thankful for. He nods and Tifa leads the way into the shop. As Vincent suspects, the shop is empty and is owned by an elder couple. Their backs are turned against Vincent and Tifa and they were bending over tending to something over the counter.

"Please make sure your children are-" The older woman turns and cuts off her sentence. "Aye! Jim! Jim! Jim, look what we have here!"

The older man straightens up and turns to see what his wife is making such a ruckus about. The man nearly chokes on his saliva when he sees the royal betrothed in his shop.

"Prince Vincent and Princess Tifa, welcome to our store!" The man comes from the counter and shakes Vincent's hand happily. He gently grabs Tifa's hand and kisses it softly, causing Tifa to blush.

"Jim, she's royalty! Don't do that!"

"It's fine." Tifa giggles in between her words. "This is an antique music shop, correct?" When the elder man nods, Tifa continues. "What's the oldest music sheet you have in your possession?"

Jim smiles happily as he guides Tifa to the back of the store, leaving Vincent and the elder woman up front. The woman comes from behind the counter and moves a stack of books from a chair that's next to the counter.

"Please Your Highness, have a seat."

"There's no need to do that for me."

The woman shakes her head. "I insist. Please, have a seat."

Vincent chuckles and sits in the chair. "It's not everyday we get young people in here that's actually interested in our products."

Vincent takes a moment to observe the shop. There are several music sheets displayed on a shelf from the window. Dishes are in between the music sheets on display as well. A part of Vincent wishes he could buy the entire store and take everything with him, but unfortunately, he doesn't have a way to bring the haul back to the castle. His eyes are fixated on a white chocobo necklace that's locked away in a case.

He gets up from the chair and takes a closer look. The chain itself is gold with gold trimmings but the chocobo itself is white. There's another chain beside it, only the chocobo is black. Ferrah and Chaos instantly comes to Vincent's mind when he sees the jewelry.

"Ma'am, my I have these two necklaces?"

The older woman walks over to the glass as she's fishing for the key from a chain around her neck. She inserts the key into the lock when she finds it and grabs the necklaces in question.

"Interesting choice, prince. There were here for a very long time. I'm sure it was the price that deterred people away from it."

Vincent didn't even pay attention to the price. The novelty of the jewelry drew his attention. The woman places the necklaces into a box and gently places them inside a paper bag. Vincent reaches into his pocket and gives the woman the gil.

"Thank you so much, Prince Vincent."

"May I ask for your name?"

"Ruby, prince."

Vincent grabs the bag from the counter. "Well Ms. Ruby, when I have more time, I will come back. You have some great things here. Also, please address me as Vincent. No need to be so formal."

Ruby smiles at Vincent's kindness. "I've never seen someone with such kindness and respect from the castle. You will be a great king, and Princess Tifa will be an amazing queen. The two of you come from riches, yet you're among us commoners."

"You are a part of this city. You are a part of _my_ people. Don't think so lowly of yourself."

Ruby chuckles at the young prince. "You're so fierce. I eagerly await your ascension. Continue to stay true to yourself and Princess Tifa."

Ruby's words moves the young prince. This woman only knows of his status, yet she's speaking to him like she could see everything that is happening in the castle. He nods and makes a mental note to keep her words close to him. Jim and Tifa returns from the back with Jim carrying a music sheet in his hands.

"Vincent, I'm super excited!" Tifa claps excitedly. "This store is amazing! That music sheet is from my childhood. My mom used to hum it to me a lot to help me sleep when I was very little."

"What's the preferred instrument to use?" Vincent asks as the Jim securely places the music sheet in a plastic cover.

"A piano. Is there one in the castle?"

"Yes but it's in the main hall. I can arrange to bring one in our chambers if you like so you can practice more comfortably."

Tifa smiles and looks at Jim. "Mr. Jim, do you sell pianos here?"

"Yes but by custom order." Jim states as he hands the music sheet to Tifa. Vincent pulls out some gil and pay for the sheet.

"What's the best make and model?" Vincent asks.

Jim smiles at the royal pair and grabs a book from a drawer and places it in front of the pair. Tifa quickly flips through the book until she reaches the piano section. Her eyes are fixated on a Royal Regal Tempo 566 model that has an option to have it come in whatever color the buyer wants, along a cherry wood finish and the highest quality of keys. Tifa points to the sample piano and Jim jots down the specifics Tifa wanted.

Tifa and Vincent waves goodbye to Ruby and Jim and heads outside. Night has approached and Tifa notices that everyone is heading for the pier.

"Oh the fireworks! Do we have enough time to see them?"

Vincent sees the hopeful look in her eyes. They honestly don't have enough time but he doesn't want to ruin the day for her by cutting it so short. He could only hope Sephiroth could stall Grimoire for a little while. He simply nods and Tifa charges towards the pier.

Thankfully Tifa ran to the pier because she is able to get Vincent and herself a clear view. Several boats are spread throughout the lake where Tifa guesses the fireworks would come from. The usual stares greets the royal pair, but thankfully there's a security guard demanding that everyone gives them some proper space. Vincent is very thankful. He is actually looking forward to the fireworks. He used to watch them from the balcony of his chambers when he was younger.

When the first firework went into the air, all conversations ceased and everyone watches the show in amazement. Red and yellow fireworks rips throughout the sky as Neo Bahamut forms, and everyone claps in approval and some even cheers. As the show goes on, it displays Neo Bahamut fighting off knights from another kingdom to defend Edge. There's a man atop a mountain, which Tifa could only assume one of Vincent's ancestor. From what she could gather, the unnamed king commands Neo Bahamut to aide Edge in its victory. There are white fireworks scattered about to represent speech bubbles, with orange and yellow fireworks following behind it to represent the fire coming from Neo Bahamut. The show is truly amazing. Tifa only heard details about the war. Though this is a firework show, it illustrates the war well. The show ends with Neo Bahamut burning everything in its path. Once the smoke cleared, everyone claps in triumph.

"Let's head back to the castle."

Tifa nods and walks alongside Vincent. There are a lot of people hanging around the pier so it's easy for them to navigate throughout the city without any hassle. They finally make it to the royal stable and prepares Chaos and Ferrah. Tifa feels a little bad for her bird companion. Her and Vincent interrupted their cuddle session.

"I'm sorry, girl." Tifa soothes her friend. "You can continue to cuddle when we get back to the castle."

"The less you gripe, the faster we can get to the castle." Vincent scolds Chaos.

Once Ferrah and Chaos ware under control, Tifa and Vincent make their way back to the castle.

Ferrah and Chaos are secured in the stable once Vincent and Tifa returned to the castle. As they approached the castle's entrance, Vincent feels his heart sink. He knows he's beyond late for his appointment with Grimoire. If there's one thing Grimoire couldn't stand, aside from Vincent not following the path of a king, is tardiness. He wants to be sure Tifa got to their chambers safely before retreating.

They make it to their chambers and Tifa walks inside first. She immediately went to the balcony area and stretches her arms freely at the night sky. The breeze goes through her dress and hair very elegantly. Vincent takes notice that Tifa was walking in heels the entire time. He never understood how women did that without complaining not one time.

"I had a wonderful time, Vincent." Tifa turns to Vincent. She notices the small paper bag that's sticking out of his pocket. "When did you buy something?"

"Oh this?" Vincent shoves the bag further into his pocket. "It's nothing."

Tifa smiles as she reaches into her pocket. Vincent didn't realize that pockets came with dresses. Tifa walks from the balcony area and into the bedroom and places her hands onto Vincent's chest. Vincent stand still as she works her fingers on his shirt and pulls away when she was finished.

"It reminded me of Chaos. Isn't it cute?"

Vincent uses his free hand to pull his shirt closer to him. Tifa had pinned a black chocobo pin onto his shirt. The chocobo is made to look cartoonish, and Vincent allows a smile to tug away at the corners of his lips. Chocobos….it's like she's reading his mind.

"It's very nice. Thank you. I don't remember you purchasing this."

"Jim gave it to me as a complementary gift. I tried to pay for it, but he wouldn't let me. He's a very sweet man. I want to go back there in the near future."

"Well, I did order you a custom piano." Vincent reminds. "Perhaps you can get a few more music sheets from there in the meantime."

Tifa smiles brightly as she stares into Vincent's red eyes. Spending the last few hours with him have been refreshing. No royal advisors or knights; just the two of them enjoying each others company. Wait? Did Vincent enjoy her company as much as she enjoyed his? She is pretty sure he did. Everything she wanted to do, he obliged with no hesitation, and aside from people wanting to take a picture of them every now and then, he didn't seem irritated. The prince seemed to enjoy himself just as much as she did, especially during the fireworks show. Or maybe she'd reading too much into this. Vincent may be her husband and future king, but that doesn't mean their marriage is still a strain, most notably the age difference and the mere thought of actually being his wife have never crossed her mind….until now….possibly. What the hell id she thinking? Could she honestly believe she can have a normal marriage, even with the royal status?

"Happy belated birthday, Tifa."

His monotone voice breaks her train of thought. She smiled weakly and goes out to the balcony. Vincent places the bag under his side of the bed before leaving the chambers.

"….Happy anniversary, Vincent." She whispers sadly as she hears the door closes behind her.


	12. Chapter 12

Two years felt like a complete blur to Tifa. To this day, she couldn't believe that she have been inside of Edge for eight years now. As the years rolled by, her internal prison became more difficult to live in. Katherine would still belittle her and to the young princess's dismay, Katherine would even go so far as to threaten her life. A part of Tifa believed that Katherine was all bark and no bite, but she couldn't put anything pass the queen. When Tifa first arrived in Edge, Katherine seemed concerned about her well being, but something happened within Katherine. Whether it was because of Cissnei or Grimoire's attitude towards her, Tifa wasn't sure. It was odd to Tifa that Katherine would quickly flip on her as if she was a light switch. Since the dinner two years ago, Tifa stood up to Katherine more, but making sure she didn't get too out of hand with her snarky comments. It was bad enough she had to fight Katherine; she didn't want to fight Grimoire as well, but Tifa is slowly realizing that she may have to fight him off as well.

The mere thought of Grimoire gave Tifa the chills. His lustful, lingering looks became more often than she liked. Whenever she would have a meal or meeting to attend, she could feel his eyes on her. Grimoire's recent actions made her think of Cissnei's dying words. Was Cissnei right? It would explain Katherine's rude behavior and Grimoire's odd behavior. Grimoire let Tifa get away with saying a lot of things without his input. When she first arrived, she was drilled on what to say and what not say, especially to royalty, but now it's like Katherine meant nothing to him. Could he really be plotting to get rid of Katherine and make Tifa his queen? She wasn't sure. There were too many unknown factors in the castle. Every second of Tifa's life was tense. She wasn't sure if she would wake up the next morning. She couldn't really turn to anyone as often as she would like.

Her sparring matches with Yuffie are still going strong. Both women have managed to master the second stage spells such as Fira, Blizzara, and Thundara, which is a major accomplishment considering Grimoire has demanded Yuffie to spread her legs for him more often within the last year. Tifa never asks what happens whenever she has to fulfill her duty as a concubine. Being a concubine seemed like it didn't disturb Yuffie too much; that or Yuffie disguises her disgust very well. Ramuh stays busy with his tasks around the castle. Lately, his duties requires him to leave Edge and represent the city whenever Grimoire or Vincent isn't available. Sephiroth is the commander of the army, and he's been really working the knights to their bones. Since the dinner, Grimoire feels as if Hojo would plan a coup and dethrone him. Tifa couldn't blame Grimoire for feeling that way. The power-driven maniac has been harassing Grimoire about an alliance since their visit two years ago. Vincent does his very best to be by her side at all times, but recently the prince have been fighting more with his father. To Tifa's knowledge, there are never any blows exchanged but anyone could hear them screaming at each throughout the corridors. Some of the arguments were about business, but most of them were about Tifa. The princess is still a virgin and it's been eight years since she's been in the castle. Even Tifa is surprised that Vincent haven't done anything to her. The raven-haired prince have always said he would never hurt her in such a manner, and she's more than grateful that he kept his word, though she isn't sure how much Vincent could keep Grimoire at bay. She is no fool.

Tifa throws a blouse inside of her dufflebag. Her and Vincent are making a trip to Nibelheim to discuss a possible treaty with Nibelheim. Tifa feels something is amiss with this trip. Grimoire has been denying Hojo for two years about merging now all of a sudden he sends Vincent and Tifa to Nibelheim? Maybe this merge was one of the things the father-son duo argued about, but according to Tifa's memory, Vincent was the first to shut down the idea of merging with Nibelheim and Grimoire didn't hesitate to back Vincent up, which is a rare thing. She haven't seen Vincent none today to ask him any questions. All she knows is that she was informed by Ramuh about the trip an hour ago, and now, here she is, inside her shared chambers, packing for her small trip.

Tifa opts to wear an orange dress with silver trimmings with a small train flowing behind her. She's wearing boots underneath her dress. She hates wearing heels when traveling. Orange isn't really a color for her so if it got soiled on the ends by the end of the day, she wouldn't care. The dress is simply disposable in her eyes. Growing up as royalty in such a hostile environment has made the princess quite paranoid. She has to stay on her toes at all times, which is partially another reason why she wears her boots. Her navigation would be limited if she were to wear heels. The double doors swings open and Vincent walks inside, stopping a few feet away Tifa.

"Are you ready to leave?"

"I believe I have everything." Tifa throws another blouse inside her bag. "Just need a few toiletries, and I should be all set."

"It's just an over night trip."

Tifa giggles. "Yes but I'm a woman, and I have needs. Seriously, it always amaze me how men pack the bare minimum."

Vincent chuckles in response as Tifa retreats to the bathroom. Since their evening out together, the forced betrothed have found it very comfortable to interact with one another. When it was just them two, they would talk to each other as if they have been best friends since their birth. Of course they kept up appearances around others, with the exceptions of Yuffie, Ramuh, and Sephiroth. It worried Vincent that Tifa would one day slip up, but two years later, and not once did she break. To say that Vincent is impressed is an understatement.

"You're gonna thank me one of these days for being over prepared." Tifa returns to the bedroom and places a small bag on the bed. Vincent gives her a quick smile before going to his dresser and grabbing his duffle bag that's on top of it.

Tifa leads the way out of the chambers and the two of them begins walking towards the entrance in silence. With their small banter put beside them, nervousness sets in. In the the world of royalty, one could never be too careful, especially in Tifa's and Vincent's positions. They were both forced into something they've never wanted. Both are being pressured to follow by the rules, but both refuses to follow. Such actions have their consequences.

"Tifa and my Lord!"

Both of them turns to see Yuffie jogging towards them. She catches her breath before speaking again. "Are the two of you going to Nibelheim?" Both Tifa and Vincent nods.

"I don't like this."

Vincent notices Yuffie's concern immediately. "I can't help but to feel like this is a setup. Why is Grimoire trying to make join Nibelheim all of a sudden after refusing for two years?"

"We don't know." Tifa answers. "That's why we're leaving to find out."

"You needn't to worry, Yuffie." Vincent tries to reassure her, but he knows his words wouldn't help much.

As he suspects, his words doesn't mean anything; Yuffie shakes her head almost immediately as Vincent finishes his sentence. "This is a setup. Grimoire isn't a negotiation type of man. He always pushes his demands until he gets what he wants."

Tifa swallows away the lump forming in her throat. She knows Yuffie's words holds some sort of truth; she couldn't deny that. Her words also affected Vincent. The young woman has every concern to worry about her friend, and if the young prince is honest with himself, he isn't comfortable with the idea either.

"Are you guys taking Ferrah and Chaos?" Yuffie asks, bringing the royal pair out of their trance.

When Tifa nods, Yuffie reaches into her pocket and pulls out a piece of cloth. "It has my scent." The short, raven-haired woman put the piece of material in Tifa's right hand and make her clutch the material tightly in her hand. "Give it to Ferrah, and I'm sure she'll find me."

Tifa stares into Yuffie's eyes before giving her friend a firm nod. The simple gesture relaxes the princess, but only a little. Tifa shoves the material into her dress pocket, turns on her heels, and walks out into the courtyard. Vincent looks over to Tifa's walking figure before returning his gaze back on Yuffie. The young woman has a saddened look upon her face. Tifa is the only person Yuffie lives for, and it hurts Yuffie tremendously to see Tifa walk towards Ferrah, and accept the consequences. She knows nothing of it, or if it exists, but she couldn't shake the fact that this is a bad idea.

"You have my word, Yuffie." Vincent gently places his hand on her left shoulder. "She will return back to you."

Yuffie slowly nods towards the prince. "You never gave me a reason to doubt you. Please don't start now."

He acknowledges her sorrowful words and leaves the castle. He understands where she is coming from. From the moment Yuffie arrived in Edge, she was always on Tifa's side and she always will be. The prince isn't stupid; if things were to ever come down to him or Tifa, Yuffie would always stand by Tifa's side, no matter how wrong the brunette may be. Throughout the years of pretending to be his concubine, Yuffie and Vincent have had their share of disagreements. If the royal prince ever thought about raising his voice by a slight octave, Yuffie would quickly step in and protect Tifa. He never once corrected Yuffie of her behavior; her actions were justified, to him, though if it was someone else in the royal family, she would've already be dead.

He appreciates Yuffie's concern about Tifa. It makes his relationship with Tifa easier knowing that someone has her interest at heart, which eases the stress away a little from Tifa. Don't get Vincent wrong, he would always look out for Tifa, and Tifa knows that, but because of Vincent's position, he knows that Tifa isn't one hundred percent reliant on him, which he couldn't blame her. He's been trying to build a bridge over that gap for eight years. He knew it would be rough, but he has to admit it is exhausting at times.

Vincent helps the chocobo tamer fasten Ferrah and Chaos properly to the carriage. The trip to Nibelheim would be effortless for the oversized birds because of their breed and extensive training. Vincent couldn't help but admire how Chaos would carefully pluck away any stray feathers from Ferrah's head. The action is tinder and simple. He often found it ironic that his friend is so protective of the beautiful white chocobo next to him. He wants to be like that with Tifa in some way. Maybe. Maybe he could be her husband one day, but today isn't that day. It doesn't mean he couldn't think about it, right? Is it even appropriate to think of Tifa that way?

After checking Ferrah's and Chaos's status, Vincent joins Tifa inside the carriage. She is making sure her laces are properly tied and tied tight. The tamer comes around Vincent's side to inform him that everything is prepared and ready to go when they are ready. He turns to Tifa to get confirmation. When she nods, Vincent gives the tamer the okay to open the gate. The tamer quickly heads towards the lever that held the gate in place, and pulls on it to open the massive gate. Vincent clicks his tongue to signal Ferrah and Chaos and the two feathered friends trotted in synch, slowly leaving Edge behind.

Tifa sticks her head outside the carriage and sees Yuffie's small frame shrinking as Ferrah and Chaos continued their pace. Sighing heavily, she returns inside the carriage, feeling down and defeated. Her nerves are beginning to get the best of her.

"How are your piano sessions coming along?"

Vincent's sudden question shocks Tifa. She raises her brow questionably at him. "They're...coming along, but I must admit I have been slacking lately."

"Hm." He folds his arms across his chest and keeps his head low. Several minutes went by without a single word exchanged between the two. So much for keeping her mind off of the travel to Nibelheim.

"I too have been practicing whenever I have time and you're away training with Yuffie."

"Really?" Tifa is genuinely surprised. "I never knew you could play."

"I'm not as good as you, but I can play for you when we return if you like."

Tifa's expression drops suddenly. "If we return..." She whispers as she lowers her head. Her stomach begins to flip uncontrollably. She clutches her sides and lowers the top half of body until her head touches her knees. The carriage softly sway left to right as Ferrah and Chaos carefully walks over a lot of stones and gravel.

Vincent places his left hand on Tifa's left shoulder and his other hand on her chin, forcing it upwards to look at him. She is beginning to pale and she gulps away a lump lodged in her throat. "We will come back. I can't promise their won't be blood or scars, but we will return to Edge. I promise."

His voice is stern, yet smooth, and it soothes her. She finds herself leaning into his touch more, closing the small gap between them. Their faces are a few inches apart. Their eyes locks into a trance; neither one of them wants to pull away. Unbeknownst to each other, they've come to admire one another as the years went on. The two of them often went into the city, especially special occasions such as their birthdays to get away from the castle. It was always a pleasant outing, especially with the kindness of the citizens. The more Tifa and Vincent made an appearance with one another, the more the citizens awed and voiced their opinion on how they were excited when it is their turn to take the throne. It is no secret that the people wants Grimoire off the throne, but no one doesn't dare admit that, not even to the prince, who is nothing like his father, but the people aren't stupid; just because the majority prefers Vincent, that doesn't mean Grimoire doesn't have followers either. Voicing their opinions about Grimoire too much would result in death.

One could argue that Vincent's and Tifa's public appearances are a front, but in all honesty, they were getting away from the politics and enjoying one another's company. They often made a visit to Jim and Ruby to check on them and purchase more piano sheets and other knickknacks.

"Stay on your toes when we reach our destination." Vincent whispers.

"I will. Don't worry. I've got your back."

Vincent is pleased with the determination in her voice. Neither one of them blinks nor tears their eyes away from each other. Their mouths are mere inches apart. A part of Tifa wants his lips. It makes her nervous. Since when did she feel this way around Vincent? Yeah, he is her husband and king, but it feels wrong to have these thoughts, right? She didn't realize that she inhaled when Vincent gingerly kisses her forehead and pulls his body slightly away from Tifa's, turning his back against her and resting his head on the back of the seat. Tifa releases her breath and did the same gesture, wondering what the hell just happened between the two.

* * *

Chaos's voice wakes the princess up from her slumber. Tifa takes a quick peek and immediately notices the differences between Edge and Nibelheim. Nibelheim is much smaller. There is no set paths for merchants to come and go whenever goods are needed for the nation. There are also no liveliness to the town. No dogs, no children playing, no townsfolk awing at the suspicious looking carriage entering the town. Nothing. It is almost as if the town is deserted, which worries Tifa. She never thought she would see the day when a place is less inviting than Edge.

There is a small chocobo pen at the entrance, just like Edge, but it is smaller and there are none reserved for monarchs or visitors. Thankfully the pen is empty so Chaos and Ferrah didn't have any issues getting inside. They are greeted by two guards and tamers. Vincent gently grasps Tifa's right hand. She nods and shoots a small smile at him before exiting the carriage. There are no welcomes or introductions. Things are definitely different in Nibelheim. Even the wind makes Tifa weak in the knees, but she couldn't let her uneasiness show. She has to stay determined and keep her guard up for not only herself but for Vincent as well.

Tifa and Vincent walks ahead of the tamers but behind the guards. The walk towards the castle is slow and dreadful. Tifa is thankful that she opted to wear her leather ankle boots instead of heels. The distance between the entrance to town to the entrance of the castle is rather too long for her liking. She glances at the mountain region that is behind the castle. It gives off an eerie, foreboding tone to the castle. The castle itself looks as though it needs much upkeep. There are several ditches and cracks inside the cement leading to the stairs of the entrance to the castle. A trail of moss engrosses the entire left side of the castle. The moss is beginning to get covered with several leaves and vines. It isn't the pretty sight that is often displayed in magazines; the green resembles vomit and baby feces. The main fountain in the center of the courtyard - if one could call it that since it is so small and uninviting – has water that looks as though it haven't been changed in months. A huge dirt ring is thickly caked inside of it as well. Tifa masks her disgust at what she is looking at. She cut her eyes to Vincent, who keeps his face expressionless and eyes to the front. Deciding to do the same, she returns her eyes in front of her.

When they get to the entrance, Tifa and Vincent begins following another pair of knights, whom also doesn't seem interested with their presence. _What the hell is going on here?_ Tifa wonders. The more they enter deep into the castle, the more she feels uneasy, and she only been in the castle not even a minute. Vincent is either good at concealing his distaste or he is really calm. The knights turns down a corridor and opens a pair of double doors that leads to the main hall. The knights motions for Vincent and Tifa to enter and when they did, the doors are closed behind them.

Hojo and Lucrecia are seated in their respective thrones. Hojo is the first to get up. He has that same smug smile on his face when he first arrived in Edge.

"Ah! Princess Tifa and Prince Vincent! Welcome to Nibelheim!"

"King Hojo." Vincent speaks as he bows with Tifa slightly behind him bowing as well. "Princess Lucrecia." He bows to the smirking princess.

"No need to be so formal." Hojo speaks as he meet Vincent and Tifa halfway down the stairs that leads to the thrones. "We've known each other quite awhile now. Hojo will do nicely."

"Of course." Vincent gives the crazed man a small bow.

Hojo diverts his attention to Tifa. She flinches away from the man inside her head. She doesn't dare give the man the satisfaction of showing her discomfort. Hojo takes two precise steps and stops in front of Tifa. He is taller and on a higher step than Tifa so it is easy to get a great look at her breasts. Unfortunately for Hojo, Tifa opted to wear an orange dress that covers her from her neck to her toes. Such a shame.

"It gets a little warm here when the sun goes down, Princess Tifa." Hojo sneers as Tifa's name rolls off his tongue in a way that makes her puke eternally. "Next time show some skin."

Vincent wants to punch the man right there, but he knew he couldn't. Hojo smiles at Tifa and shoots Vincent a glare as he turns and walks up the few stairs leading to the thrones. Reluctantly, Vincent and Tifa follows him. Hojo sits on his throne, and Lucrecia stands up from hers. Her dress is completely shameless. All red, backless, a deep plunge to her midriff, and what fabric she did have above her waist, it barely covers her breast and hardened nipples. She pushes her hair to her right side while seductively looking at Vincent, all while ignoring Tifa, making Tifa's blood boil. Instead of letting her anger show, she keeps her face emotionless.

"Prince Vincent, it's great to see you after all this time." Lucrecia says in a sing-song voice. "Excuse my father's manners. Please, come over to the table and let's discuss some terms, shall we?"

Lucrecia motions for Tifa and Vincent to follow her with Hojo behind Tifa directly. Tifa could feel the man gawking at her ass. Again, her stomach turns at the mere thought of Hojo even taking a glance at her. The four of them sit at a small, cherrywood table that is off to the side of the thrones. Hojo and Lucrecia sits on one side but beside one another while Tifa and Vincent did the same on the other side.

"Now, I'm sure your father has informed you that we will be talking about a peace treaty." Hojo speaks as he adjusts his glasses with his pointer finger.

"A peace treaty is usually established when two nations may come to blows or relinquish some, if not all, their assets to the other nation." Vincent pipes in. "As we've said before, Edge has no interest in joining Nibelheim in their endeavors to conquer other nations. Do you plan to launch an attack on Edge?"

"Ooh! Murderous aren't we?" Hojo smirks at Vincent's serious, murderous tone. "Have you seen Nibelheim? Even with the combined forces of Rocket Town, we don't have the type of man power to overthrow Edge. That's completely suicidal and idiotic."

The man is deranged, but isn't stupid, Vincent has to give Hojo that.

"We're well aware of Grimoire's views about merging with Nibelheim, but that's not why you're here." Lucrecia purrs.

"Then why are we here?" Tifa's voice is laced thick with venom and she doesn't even bother to hide it. She is growing weary of this place and she wants to return back to Edge. She never knew how much she missed Edge until she came inside this place. Perhaps there are worse places to reside in besides Edge.

"Well, I'm not sure why you're here." Lucrecia shoots back at Tifa. "I was only expecting Vincent to show up."

Hojo's manic laugh echoes in the hall. As if on cue, both Vincent and Tifa leans back into their chairs both beginning to feel the heavy dread into the room.

"You may have noticed that Lucrecia's mother isn't here. She died a few years back. I could no longer tame her."

Lucrecia rolls her eyes. "She was such a disobedient wretch. She always had something to say. Kind of reminds me of someone that I know."

Tifa glares at Lucrecia and Lucrecia returns the gesture. "You better watch your back."

Hojo smirks at Tifa. "Such beauty. Such fierceness." He leans in a little towards Tifa. Her hands twitches underneath the table. "How is it that you haven't been bent over and fucked yet is beyond me. I'd love to extinguish that fire."

Tifa narrows her eyes and by sheer bluntness, she leans in a little as well. "Never."

Hojo's smile widens at Tifa's tone. "Oh but on the contrary, why do you think you're here?"

The situation is now extremely dangerous and with no one other than themselves, the odds aren't in Tifa's and Vincent's favor. Vincent keeps his eyes on Hojo and feels Tifa tap his left foot. It is once again time to show these people that she's not the scared the child that arrived in Edge, kicking and screaming for her mother and father eight years ago.

"To support my _husband._ "

Lucrecia grunts in response, and Hojo stands up from the table only to be knocked down on the ground by the table that Vincent kicks into him. Several knights storms inside the hall when Lucrecia yells. Swords and shields are aimed at Vincent and Tifa. Vincent held his arm over Tifa in a defensive manner. She grasps his arm, never taking her eyes off of Hojo and Lucrecia.

"You bitch!" Lucrecia spits. "How dare you call him your husband?! He's no woman's husband!"

"Look who he's protecting, me!" Tifa shoots back.

Lucrecia angrily picks a glass up from the floor and chugs it towards Tifa in a futile effort to shut the princess up. Lucrecia's aim so is so bad that Tifa makes no effort in dodging the glass.

"We're leaving." Vincent speaks as he begin to slowly back away from Hojo and Lucrecia. His arm is still over Tifa in a protective manner.

The knights closes in on Tifa and Vincent. Tifa glances at the knights and gauge that they are way less experienced than the knights in Edge. Their weapons and armor looks as if they wouldn't make a dent in the decrepit-looking walls in the castle. Plus, there aren't as many knights in the room. She knew that there had to be more knights, but even knowing this, the numbers are currently underwhelming.

"Stand down, Vincent, and surrender yourself to me." Lucrecia grits.

"I'm curious as to what your answer is when I tell you that I won't." Vincent narrows his ruby eyes.

Lucrecia purses her lips as her response. There is a small click of metal directly behind the pair. Tifa successfully uses her elbow to smash the knight's face in just as he was about to grab her. Other knights immediately charges towards Vincent and Tifa. Vincent wastes no time in pulling out his gun from its sheath and pulling the trigger. Blood and bones flew everywhere as Vincent kills five knights in a matter or seconds. He doesn't even realize that Tifa have side-stepped away and punched another knight in the throat, and stomped on his head when he hit the floor.

Tifa widens her stance and holds up her fists, adrenaline pumping inside of her. Finally she is able to use her training in the real world. She steadies her breathing as she practice and gauges all of her opponents, including the sick, deranged rulers of Nibelheim. Vincent is beyond impressed with Tifa's movements. He is proud of her, but now isn't the time to rejoice in her skills.

The remaining knights stops dead in their tracks when they see a few of their comrades go down within seconds of the deadly pair. Hojo waves for the knights to continue their onslaught, but Vincent denies any movement from the knights when he shoots a bullet between another knight's eyes.

"Move!" Vincent yells to Tifa as he begins running towards the entrance with Tifa behind him.

"Seize them!" Hojo yells but none of the knights moved. They are all too afraid to confront the pair.

As Vincent and Tifa runs towards the carriage, Hojo is at the foot of the entrance of the castle yelling for the capture of Vincent and Tifa. Suddenly, residents of the town exiting their homes with makeshift weapons such as brooms and skillets in their hands. Though armed, no one makes a move towards Vincent and Tifa. They may be royalty of Edge but people talk. Word of Vincent's and Tifa's mannerisms have reached the other nations, and for the most part, everyone views them as respectful people.

"Seize them or suffer the consequences!" Lucrecia bellows as she shoots a Fire spell towards a nearby home that occupies and woman and two of her children. The trio swiftly leaves their home sobbing at the flames.

Tifa's eyes widens at the sight. Not only did Lucrecia use magic, the citizens are beginning to charge at her and Vincent. With the residents and the knights chasing after them, there aren't many options. It isn't in Vincent to take an innocent life unless he absolutely have to. There's only one way out of this mess.

Vincent and Tifa reaches Ferrah and Chaos. The oversized birds squeaks out of fear as their owners promptly unfasten their reins to unattached them from the carriage. Vincent reaches inside the carriage and grabs their overnight bags. He throws his personal bag onto Chaos and tosses Tifa's bag onto Ferrah. He signals for Chaos to immediately leave and the black bird runs out of the entrance of the town. Tifa freezes when she realizes what Vincent is doing.

"No Vincent! I'm not leaving you here!"

"We don't have time for this!" As he suspects, reinforcements are starting to charge towards the entrance. Tifa looks up and sees the soldiers as well then glances at Vincent sorrowfully. Hot tears falls from her eyes.

"Go back to Edge and inform Ramuh and Sephiroth. They'll help you from there. While you're heading there, find Chaos. You may need to rely on my belongings as well to get you through the trip."

"No, no, no, no! I can't leave you here!"

Vincent grabs Tifa's shoulders violently. He doesn't mean to be harsh but time is running out. Nibelheim's reinforcements are closing in.

"Trust me!" More tears flows freely from Tifa's eyes, but her verbal protests subsides. "For once, trust me with everything inside of you! Please..."

His plea is soft. Tifa exhales heavily as she grasps Vincent's face and kisses him on his forehead before turning her attention towards the sea of knights that are almost to the entrance. She notices a fence that is low enough for Ferrah to jump with minimum effort. She taps Ferrah's sides as Ferrah obeys with no objections. A few knights from Nibelheim tries to follow Tifa, but Hojo signals everyone to stand down.

Vincent is surrounded by several knights from both Rocket Town and Nibelheim. They are all low-class knights, but even he couldn't take down everyone. He throws his gun down in an act of surrender and keeps his hands above his head. He turns to see Hojo and Lucrecia behind him; both looking disgusted.

"You come to my nation and cause a ruckus. Just who the fuck do you think you are?!" Hojo hisses.

Vincent flashes a cocky grin. "Your murderer."

Hojo's eyes narrows. "We'll see about that."

The last thing Vincent remembers is the crowd of numerous people approaching him as he falls to the ground, completely unconscious.


	13. Chapter 13

Ferrah's breathing starts to ease as she trots alongside her brunette owner. During the escape, Tifa got off of Ferrah to give her feathered friend a break. They've been traveling for hours and not once did Tifa look back. As she continues to travel back to Edge, the scene keeps replaying over and over in her mind. Vincent's desperate plea for her to retreat. He gave himself away to those vile people, not once hesitating. It's almost as if the young prince knew what was going to happen all along. Tifa sighs at the thought. This man, her husband, made a sacrifice to let her see another day, and yet, she doesn't feel like she deserves him. All those times she questioned his actions and his true intentions with her; eight long, grueling years of protecting her...she never once truly thanked him. Sure, Tifa said she understood and she would often thank him, but did she really take a hard look at Vincent's circumstances? If she would ever to see him again, she would thank him properly. No half stepping; nothing but pure, genuine empathy. Her prince is counting on her to return to him. She couldn't let him down. She has depended on him heavily for eight years. It's his turn to depend on her, and she would not falter.

The sun projects an orangish-purplish hue as it slowly sets. Ferrah whimpers with each step she took. The poor bird has trotted through several terrains since the escape. Tifa is also beginning to feel her body shut down. The pair needs to rest and fast. They couldn't continue to move like this. Vincent is as good as dead if Tifa doesn't return to Edge.

Green glows from nearby bugs illuminates the surroundings tress as Tifa and Ferrah continued their trek towards Edge. There is no sign of Chaos anywhere, and that worries Tifa. Though she packed essentials in her bag, Vincent's bag probably contained more items that she needs in order to survive the trek. With no food or water, options are very limited. All of the chocobo feed for Ferrah is inside the carriage back in Nibelheim. Odds are against the princess, but she needs to be strong. Her prince and nation needs her.

Several tall boulders are scattered about in a dirt terrain that Tifa and Ferrah are slowly approaching. Night is coming soon, and Edge is still a few hours away. She would have to make camp for the rest of the evening, or at the very least take a few hours to rest. The boulders forms a neat-tight circle. They are in the middle of nowhere, and there are no signs of an abandoned dwelling or cave. The boulders would have to do.

"Let's rest here, girl."

Tifa eases Ferrah onto the ground. The poor bird whimpers as she leans against the massive boulder. Like her owner, Ferrah pushed herself to the limit to get far away from Nibelheim. Her tongue is dry and practically stuck to the roof of her mouth. Tifa sighs next to her companion as her body slowly slides down to the ground, using the rock for support. The need for water and food is starting to become overwhelming, but the want to rest is even more compelling. The pair are out in the open, with no one to help them or supplies.

Tifa glances at her feathered friend and exhales exhaustingly. She uses her left hand to cradle Ferrah's head and guide it to her lap. The chocobo makes a satisfying noise as she adjusts her head in a more comfortable position. Her white feathers are dirtied along with Tifa's once beautiful orange dress. At least she opted to wear boots instead of heels. The insistence of a princess or queen to be dressed to impress is quite unnerving.

"Rest up, girl. We're taking a brief break then it's back to traveling."

Ferrah coos and closes her eyes, nuzzling more into Tifa's hand. Tifa lazily pushes the back of her head on the boulder and closes her eyes. Her mind wonders to Vincent. His face, his hair, his mannerisms. It all hits her at once. She never truly appreciated his efforts in protecting her. All these years she's been nothing but a brat to the man. He could've easily ended her life long ago, but instead he put himself in harms way. Stood up for her, even when everything was against him. Their friends – Yuffie, Ramuh, and Sephiroth – are cheering them on, even putting themselves up against Grimoire, whether Grimoire is aware or not. They have all made sacrifices. Ramuh and his teachings with magic. Sephiroth and him covering for the two whenever Tifa wanted to leave the castle on a whim and overall protection. Yuffie and her agreeing to such a scandalous accord just to be near her. They've all made sacrifices, not once thinking of themselves; only thinking about Tifa.

"No more." Tifa lazily opens her eyes as her gaze fixates on the direction towards Nibelheim. "I'm done letting everyone do for me when I've done nothing to deserve such gratitude. Hang on, Vincent. I just need a little more time."

* * *

After weeks of checking in with the guards at the entrance to see if her piano arrived, it finally came. It's purple with a cherrywood finish, just like Tifa requested. She leaps for joy as the guards slowly walks towards her with the massive instrument. She couldn't contain herself; she's brimming with excitement. Days in the castle are hard to enjoy, but now that the piano has arrived, things will be a little easier. The young princess feels bad for the movers. The men had to overcome several steps and corridors before finally reaching Tifa's chambers. As the men are placing the piano in the corner she directed them to, she goes over to her ardmore and grabs a handful of cash. She doesn't bother to count it up as she hands the currency to one of the men.

"Your Majesty, I can't take this."

Tifa shakes her head as the man tries to hand her back the money. "The two of you deserve it."

"But we're not allowed to take tips, especially from the Valentine royalty." The other man speaks as he places his side of the piano at a perfect angle.

"Well I guess we'll have to keep this between the three of us now don't we?" Tifa smiles.

The men looks at one another and then back at Tifa. They bow and thank Tifa plentiful before taking their leave with a massive tip in hand. There's no point in arguing with the princess. As soon as the men closes the door, Tifa squeals in joy. She runs to her closet and throws several items of clothing on the floor until she pulls out several music sheets that she had acquired since visiting the city.

Since her late birthday celebration, Vincent and Tifa have ventured out into the city more often. They are regulars at Jim's and Ruby's shop. A lot of children would often approach Tifa and play a quick game of hide and seek with her. Tifa couldn't be sure, but she could've sworn Vincent would chuckle every so often. Nothing about him indicated that he likes children. In fact, Tifa couldn't remember a time that he interacted with children. Then again, she concludes that Vincent spent his entire childhood inside the castle; being groomed to become an evil dictator. After a quick game of hide and seek and tag, the royal pair would often interact with the citizens. The conversations never felt forced. They all seemed genuine, for the most part. Every now and then, they sensed a little nervousness. They couldn't blame their citizens for not completely trusting them. They are destined to follow a foul path. Some people don't like them because of the fact, and others simply doesn't like Vincent because Vincent isn't following in his father's footsteps. Despite his ways, Grimoire has his followers. The numbers may be small, but they are there. Of course, none of the citizens knew of the full truth. Only members of the castle knew, and if such scandalous allegations were to come from the citizens, the gossip would've came from the castle, which meant immediate death. Grimoire have slit a few throats in the past for gossiping about what happens inside the castle. It has been years since Grimoire has killed someone over he say, she say, excluding Cissnei, but very few knew the real reason why Cissnei was killed.

At first, Vincent and Tifa were nervous about leaving castle grounds because of Grimoire. No matter how much they didn't want to admit it, Grimoire is still king, and the king's commands trumps everyone and everything. Grimoire never asks about their whereabouts whenever they had their meetings. Vincent, knowing his father's movements better than anyone, knew not to take his father's silence as not knowing anything. He never assumed when it comes to his father, so he made sure to take extra precautions when leaving the castle. Once off of castle grounds, they were free. Grimoire isn't the type of king to make public appearances, which always baffles Vincent. How dare a king not address his people from time to time? A king should inquire about current issues and observe. It's something Vincent will improve upon in due time. Grimoire not making public appearances makes things a lot easier since none of the citizens actually interacts with Grimoire, and with the exception of the royal bloodline and servants of other castles across Gaia, no one had the address to the castle. Enjoying the city is easy; getting in and without Grimoire's knowledge is the arduous part.

Tifa promised herself that as soon as her piano came in, she would practice the lullaby her mother used to hum to her to help her sleep. She found the music sheet, and swiftly walks to the piano. As she sits down on the wooden bench, she notices that her initials are engraved right above the glossy keys. A detail she never requested, but she smiles at the small gesture, nonetheless. She glances over each leg. All four of them are perfect and damage free, even after all the movement it went through to get to her chambers. The men definitely earned their tip. Smiling, Tifa places the sheets in front of her, her favorite lullaby is on top. She adjusts her body and posture and begins to slowly glide her hands over the keys.

She plays all day and finally turns in early. She have been training for half of the day and the other half playing on her piano. Grimoire has had a huge, sudden interest with Yuffie as of late so most of their training sessions have been cut short because of that. Ramuh keeps tabs on all the concubines for Yuffie's sake. Not to mention Grimoire sends Sephiroth to find Yuffie when her presence is required. Her hygiene must remain in tact, otherwise it would raise suspicion, so training with weapons have been heavily limited, but it never stopped their magic sessions. Magic require concentration and an emotional connection. Though it doesn't require physical strength, it can make a body weary. Regardless, the two women continue to practice in secrecy.

Tifa casually stir as the keys to piano rings softly in her ears. She isn't sure if she heard correctly so she ignores the tune and tries to go back to sleep. Again, she hears another key go off and this time she's certain her mind isn't playing tricks on her. She groggily rises from the bed. Her vision focuses on a sitting figure at her piano. She smiles when she notices it's Vincent. There is no particular song or tune being played. His long, slender fingers presses the keys nonchalantly.

"Having fun?" Tifa gets out of bed.

"I'm sorry to wake you." Vincent never turns to face Tifa. His index and middle finger are tracing the keys. "I see your piano has arrived."

Tifa nodded happily as she sat next to Vincent. "I played Once Upon a December several times. Still rusty, but not bad for someone who is several years out of practice."

She inhales sharply as she places her hands on the keys. "You've seemed to have over worked your fingers." Vincent notes. "Once Upon a December? Is that the lullaby Queen Alice used to sing to you?"

Tifa sorrowfully nods. It has been years since her mother's death, and she never once forgot about the last sight of her mother. Bloodied, disgraced, lacerations, sorrow. It all hit her at once.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to bring back painful memories."

"No, it's fine." She tilts her head and gives a small smile. "And yes. That's the song."

She hums a few notes before playing a few notes, synching the notes with her humming. She takes her time when playing her notes since her fingers are a bit sore from practicing earlier. Vincent watches in silence as Tifa continues onward with her song. A few minutes goes by, and Tifa is done.

"That's a beautiful song." Vincent smiles.

"I plan on playing it to my children one day."

She pauses and turns her head to Vincent, who is also looking back at her. She is no child. She knew there is no such thing as the stork. She is well aware of sex, and what it meant to reproduce children. She always envisioned herself playing, humming, and singing that song to her children, that much was very true. The thought haven't crossed her mind until now. Her mind races. How could she let that sentence slip from her lips? Would Vincent take her right there, right now?

"We can always adopt." Vincent finally answers. He sees the invisible gears in her brain turning. "I mean, once we have made our ascension. You have that option."

"Yeah..." He voice trails as she returns her gaze back to her cramped fingers.

They sit in silence for a few minutes, neither one of them making any sudden movements. Finally, Vincent gets up from the bench. Tifa follows his movements with her head, still remaining on the bench, as Vincent makes his way towards the bathroom. He stops suddenly and turns around to face Tifa. Their eyes connects as if they are speaking another language that they knew, yet foreign to their lips. He walks cautiously towards Tifa and stops on her right side. The stare is intense, but there is no malice behind each other eyes. They are filled with something that neither one of them could identify. Without warning, Vincent presses lips softly against Tifa's forehead. Smiling, Tifa moves her left hand to cup Vincent's right cheek.

They are both stilled in their positions for a few more moments before Vincent finally pulls away and retreats to the bathroom. She enjoys the forehead kisses over the years, and so did he, but deep down, way deep, she wants a real kiss. She had no experience, but with Vincent's aid, she is more than certain Vincent wouldn't oppose the idea of teaching her how to properly kiss. The mere thought makes her cheeks flush. She just isn't aware how she desperately wants his lips.

* * *

"I...wanted to..."

Vincent's eyes shoots open as he winces from the sudden rush of pain in his head. Once the pain subsided, he slowly lifts his head and gives his eyes a chance to focus on his surroundings. Nothing but bare, cemented walls. A foul stench assaults his nose. He scrunches his face in disgust and begins to move his limbs. He is able to move his legs with little effort, but his arms are a different case. They are bound together by a metal chain that hung from the ceiling and metal cuffs. The numbness makes him wince in pain. He moves his arms more slowly to try to get some sort of circulation going. As he stumble to get circulation in his arms, he looks around to take a better look at his surroundings. There is a skeleton in the corner. A rat runs by, blocking the little light that came through the small window from above for a brief moment. The light itself seems to be from sort of lamp from the outside.

 _So I've been here all day..._ He thought to himself as he uses as much of his strength in his legs to push himself up in a standing position. It's difficult but standing alleviates the pressure from his arms, and he allows them to relax a bit.

A door swings open, and Lucrecia appears from behind it. She waves the knights away and the door closes behind her. She slowly approaches the weakened man. He has had no food or water in hours. His hair is disheveled and his clothes are soiled from being on the dungeon's floor for so long. He looks miserable and filthy, but still handsome nonetheless.

"Good evening, Vincent." Lucrecia's voice pierces his ears as he raises his head to her and glare. She laughs as a response. "Not so happy to see me, huh?"

"What do you want from me?" Vincent shakes his arms in a feeble attempt to break free.

"You still don't get it, do you?" Lucrecia is now in front of Vincent. "I want you. Your last name, the throne in Edge, your future children. Everything about you I want." She cups his face and he immediately snatches his head away from her hand. Tifa is the only woman to cup his face. No other woman have that privilege.

"I'm not available."

Lucrecia snorts. "Why? Because of your marriage to that whore? She'll be dead soon. Every knight in Rocket Town and Nibelheim is searching for her and they have orders to bring her head to me and Father."

It's Vincent's turn to snort. "You won't catch her."

Lucrecia narrows her eyes. "You sound as if you have faith in her."

Vincent licks his dry lips and held his head low from Lucrecia's gaze. He doesn't have much energy in him. He doesn't want to squander what little he has on a pointless conversation with the crazed princess. Vincent's actions annoyed Lucrecia and his words about Tifa displeases her. She is supposed to be his. In one swift motion, she grabs Vincent by the neck and forces him to look at her. His angry, red orbs would burn a whole in her skull if it could.

"Why are you carrying a torch for that woman?! She's not a proper princess!"

"And you think you are?" Vincent spits. "Why are you so angry? I'm not responsible for our marriage not happening. My father sided with Midgar. I have no control over that. Quite frankly, I'm glad my father did side with Midgar."

Vincent's admission makes Lucrecia tighten her grip on his throat. He gasps a little but never did remove any malice in his eyes towards Lucrecia. "His decision made me realize that you are just like your father, and I would never taint my soul with yours."

She releases her grip and immediately slaps him. Her eyes are ablaze as she stares at the standing figure that disgraced her seconds ago. His red eyes gives her the same fiery stare as he return his gaze towards her.

"How dare you defy your fate?"

"I didn't like it, so I made my own path. And it's a path that doesn't involve you."

She slaps him again and grabs him by his throat. "We'll see about that. But first you need a bath. Guards!"

Lucrecia walks away as two guards come into the dungeon cell, with one holding a massive hose. The other guard goes to Vincent and begins to undo his buttons. Vincent snatches away as much as he could before the guard grew impatient and smacks him in the back of the head. The blow makes a ringing noise in his ears. His head goes a little limp as his clothes are being stripped away one by one until he's completely naked. Both guards cease their actions as they observe Vincent's body. They turn to look at one another and then back at Vincent. The guard that held the hose, flips a switch, and cold water violently rushes out, hitting Vincent directly in the chest. The sudden coldness makes Vincent grit his teeth.

While one guard continues to hose Vincent down, the other guard walks away from the two figures for a brief moment and comes back with a bucket. He pulls out a sponge that is soaked with soap. The man begins to scrub Vincent's body down. Vincent doesn't much enjoy this, but the smell of soap is always welcomed in such a damp, rancid place such as the dungeon, or for any part of the castle for that matter. The man with the sponge takes a few steps back and allows the other guard to hose Vincent's body down again. A few moments goes by, and the other guard is back to scrubbing Vincent's lean body.

Vincent flails as the guard moved into his sensitive areas. The other guard hit Vincent in his stomach to stop his motions. The other guard quickly scrubs Vincent's genitalia and he is once again hosed down with cold water. Once the soap was completely gone, the guard dropped the hose and went to the door, leaving the other guard to watch Vincent. Moments later, Lucrecia returns with the other guard.

"My, my, my. You are so divine looking, Vincent."

His last thought before he slipped into unconsciousness from yet another blow to the back of the head was of him and Tifa in their chambers playing various notes from her piano and him fleeing to the bathroom, wanting to desperately give her kiss, but too afraid of the possible rejection.

* * *

An ant slowly creeps onto Ferrah's back and causes the feathered bird to use one of its legs to scratch it away. Tifa groans a little as she begins to wake up from Ferrah's sudden movements. How much time has passed since she passed out? She quickly stands up and observes her surroundings. Nightfall has come and so did nocturnal insects. Crickets are heard throughout the area. Tifa isn't sure how long the commute is to Nibelheim from Edge since she fell asleep in the carriage, but she is more than certain that her and Vincent would have returned by now. Of course, that was included with Chaos's speed. Chaos! Tifa frantically looks around for any signs pointing to Chaos's whereabouts. Maybe Chaos left behind some prints, but of course, she found nothing.

Tifa tugs on Ferrah's reigns to make the poor bird get up. They need to hurry to Edge and fast. Ferrah whines as she begins walking side by side with Tifa. Tifa saddens a little as they continue their trek. It's bad enough that she's hungry and dehydrated. She hates that her feathered friend is also suffering. She has to keep her head up high and continue her journey.

It feels like hours, or maybe it wasn't. Tifa isn't exactly sure. The only good thing about this trek is that there are no knights chasing after her. Maybe Lucrecia and Hojo ordered them to stand guard in Nibelheim's entrance. Maybe she was able to shake them. That is unlikely. She's nothing but a mere woman with a very weakened white chocobo. She is tough, that much is true, but she isn't _that_ tough. At least that's how she viewed herself.

Her attention turns to Ferrah. The poor chocobo is beyond starving; she's hungrily eating a mushroom. Tifa takes a harder look at the mushroom and notices the yellowish circles on the top before it was ripped into Ferrah's beak. It's a rare mushroom that is only indigenous in Edge. She uses it all the time whenever she makes broth for her mushroom soup that she learned from the cooks inside the castle. She snaps her head towards other trees notices there are mushrooms everywhere. She quickly runs to another nearby tree and grabs a handful and returns to Ferrah who begins to hungrily eat the mushrooms. She is close to home. She knows it. While Ferrah gnaws away on the fungus, Tifa looks around for some source of water. It isn't ideal to let Ferrah drink polluted water, but they are so close to home and she needs Ferrah to have some sort of energy for the final push.

"Ferrah, come here."

Ferrah happily flaps her wings and trots to Tifa. Tifa points to a small puddle that is under a nearby tree. Ferrah drinks a little water before retracting her beak and flapping her wings angrily.

"I know girl. I know, but I promise when we get home, I'll get you something better." Tifa soothes her friend as she reluctantly put her beak back into the water. "I need you to get us back home. We are almost there."

As if Ferrah understood every word Tifa said, she flaps her wings as she continues to gulp down the dirty water from the small puddle. Once Ferrah is finished, she leaps with joy, and Tifa smiles. They have a chance to return home. They were so close. Tifa steadied the reigns on Ferrah and hopped onto her friend. Fueled by new determination, Ferrah happily flapped her wings and began to run towards Edge. The closer she got to Edge, the more familiar she was with the area. She never ventured from Edge, even in the grassland area, however there was an occasion or two where Ferrah and Chaos chased each other out of city limits and into the grassland. Tifa couldn't help but smile at the memory of Vincent's annoyance with the two birds when he finally caught up to them. _I'm almost there, Vincent. Hold on for a bit longer._

Ferrah began to run faster as the pair ran through the city of Edge. Several citizens did a double take to make sure they really saw what they saw as Ferrah ran towards the castle. Tifa gave Ferrah a congratulatory pat on the head as the white chocobo continued forward. Her smile widened as they crossed the bridge that separated the city from the castle. The gates to the castle were in her sight. Tifa patted Ferrah on her sides to encourage her to go faster. She didn't mean to push Ferrah to the limit, but the castle was practically in her reach.

"Princess Tifa?!" The guard was confused by Tifa's current state. Her once beautiful orange dress was now covered in filth and torn at the ends. Ferrah was covered in dirt and the muddied water she drank minutes ago left a nasty ring around her beak.

"I have no time to explain. Please see to it that Ferrah gets proper care."

"Yes Princess."

Tifa hopped off of Ferrah and entered the gate as two of the guards pulled Ferrah into her stable. Ferrah voice got higher when she saw Chaos. Tifa sighed in relief. Chaos was able to make it back to the castle. It shouldn't surprise Tifa too much. Chaos had much more experience with the outside world beyond Edge due to Vincent's training with Sephiroth and the rest of the army. With Ferrah in good hands, and Chaos return to Edge safely, she needed to seek Ramuh, Sephiroth, and Yuffie fast.

Even though she was very much weak, she ran as fast she could into the castle entrance. A few gasp were heard when Tifa barged into the entrance. It was in the middle of the night. How late, Tifa wasn't sure but Sephiroth's chambers was a start to look for the silver-haired commander. The dryness in her throat was beginning to take a toll on her. She badly yearned for some water, food, clean clothes, and a shower, but first she needed to find Sephiroth.

She entered the battle wing where all the knights resided. It was the smallest wing in the castle, but still comfy to accommodate every knight. Their rooms were a sizable amount. Each knight bunked with at least one other knight to avoid costs in expanding. The only person to have their own chambers was Sephiroth. Wasting no time, she reached Sephiroth's chambers and pushed the double doors open rather harshly.

A woman was straddling Sephiroth, and she was completely naked. An audible gasp escaped her lips as she diverted her attention to Tifa. Sephiroth snapped his head towards the distraction, but his face immediately soften upon seeing Tifa standing at the doorway.

"Sir Sephiroth, I'm sorry to disturb you, but it's urgent."

The woman quickly got off of Sephiroth, feeling a bit disappointed that she couldn't finish herself off. Sephiroth's cock was slick and wet from his interrupted session. The woman quickly clothed herself while Sephiroth grabbed a nearby pillow to cover his genitals.

"Put your clothes on and leave." Sephiroth commanded the woman.

She nodded vigorously and began to put on her clothes clumsily. Tifa turned away from the embarrassed pair to allow them to get their bearings. She didn't mean to ruin their fun. She felt pretty bad. Hurried footsteps approached Tifa, and she turned to see Sephiroth's lover walking towards the double doors.

"I'm sorry, ma'am."

The woman shook her head. "No Princess Tifa, I'm sorry you saw me and my whorish ways." Without another word spoken, the woman fled out of the chambers.

"What happened to you? Where's Vincent?"

Tifa turned her body to see Sephiroth half dressed. He was fumbling with his shirt. "He's being held captive in Nibelheim. He let me and the chocobos escape, and he stayed behind."

Sephiroth's eyes widened as he motioned for Tifa to sit on the chaise. He didn't want her to sit on his soiled bed from his recent activities.

"What?! He's a prisoner?"

Tifa nodded as she sat on the chaise. "I know he's not going to give up, not so easily, but I don't want him to endure such torture. The look in Hojo's and Lucrecia's eyes. They want him and want me dead."

Sephiroth fell silent, and Tifa furrowed her brows. "What?"

"...So Grimoire actually did it."

Tifa was confused. "Did what?"

"...Trade Vincent's life for someone..." He murmured.

"What?! For who?!"

Tifa saw no point in asking why. There are several answers as why, and none of them would ever make any sense to a normal, rational human being. Sephiroth didn't respond; he continued to stare into her almond colored eyes. At first, his stare made her confusion intensify, until the realization hit her like a brick.

"...No.."

"Vincent knew..." Sephiroth thought out loud. "He saw this coming before stepped foot out of the castle." His eyes were now in determined slits. "Tifa, you need to get out of Edge and rescue Vincent. I will assist you."

Tifa matched his determination. "With Ramuh and Yuffie as well, right? He told me to seek help from the both of you and Yuffie is of course my best friend. I can't do this without the three of you."

Sephiroth nodded as he got up from the chaise. "Of course. I'm going to lay some fresh clothes out on the chaise for you. Use my shower and meet Ramuh in his chambers."

Tifa nodded and ran into the bathroom while Sephiroth found the simplest shirt and lounging sweats he could find. He then began to ransack his dressers and began to shove as much clothing as he possibly could in a knapsack. He left his chambers when he could no longer fill the bag. With his bag in tow, he began to run towards Ramuh's chambers. He knew this day would come; he didn't expect it to come so soon. _Vincent, why didn't you say anything before you left?_ His duty is indeed to Grimoire, but his duty _and_ loyalty resides with Vincent. Always had and always will be.

Five minutes later and the commander reached Ramuh's chambers. Sephiroth knocked urgently on the door and moments later Ramuh appeared from behind the doors, slightly irritated that he was apparently woken up.

"Ramuh, it's time."

Ramuh didn't need anymore information. Sephiroth's entire body language spoke volumes to the older man. "I'll begin packing."

"Pack light. We'll rendezvous at the chocobo stable. Make sure Jester is ready."

"Is Ferrah and Chaos there as well?" Ramuh called over his shoulder as he retreated back into his room grabbing a knapsack and began stuffing various robes and under garments inside of it.

"They should be though I doubt Tifa returned with the carriage. We'll need to take extra supplies for the chocobos until we reach the abandoned carriage in Nibelheim, but rescuing Vincent is top priority. Tifa will meet you here shortly. I have to find Yuffie. Do you know her whereabouts?"

Ramuh closed his knapsack and grabbed another one for personal products. "She just finished a training session not too long ago. I would imagine she's in her quarters with the rest of the concubines."

Sephiroth nodded and left Ramuh to do his part. One person down, one more to go. Hopefully she wouldn't ask too many questions. Sephiroth and Ramuh were aways prepared for this day, Yuffie however, was left out of the loop for her sake and Tifa's as well. It was heavily implied that Grimoire would always do something drastic, but to take things _this_ far? It was inexcusable and unforgivable. Sephiroth shook his head violently as he continued down the corridor.

He reached the chambers where all of the concubines were being housed. He opened the door and all eyes were on him as he looked around the room for Yuffie.

"Sir Sephiroth, is everything okay?"

Yuffie was wrapped loosely in a large black towel. Water droplets dripped from her small frame. Sephiroth motioned for Yuffie to follow him outside the chambers so none of the other women could overhear them. Yuffie excused herself and followed Sephiroth away from the chambers.

"What's going on?"

Sephiroth looked over Yuffie's shoulder before answering. "Vincent is held captive in Nibelheim. Tifa managed to escape. We don't have a lot of time, but we need to leave Edge and rescue Vincent. Tifa is in my chambers cleaning herself up, and she's meeting Ramuh at his chambers. Gather some supplies and meet them there. They'll guide you to the chocobo stables. Help them prep Jester, Chaos, and Ferrah and wait for me there.

Yuffie nodded. "I'll go to Vincent's and Tifa's chambers. If she's in your chambers, she won't have time to pack any belongings. Besides, if I go packing in there, it'll alert the others." She pointed to her shared quarters.

"Smart idea. Get going. I'm going to scrounge up some supplies for meals."

And with that, Yuffie made her way towards her destination while Sephiroth headed to the kitchen. Sephiroth was thankful that Yuffie was quick on her feet and didn't ask any questions. Maybe she too also expected Grimoire to do something drastic. That was neither here nor there. Sephiroth needed to stay focused.

Tifa ran out of Sephiroth's chambers, all while adjusting the white string on the pair of sweats Sephiroth left for her to wear. Sephiroth wasn't a particularly large man, but he was a man nonetheless so his clothing was a little big for her, but not by much. She prayed that Sephiroth was able to reach Yuffie and Ramuh by the time she reached Ramuh's chambers. Her uneasiness was put at ease when she reached Ramuh's chamber and saw him and Yuffie inside the chambers through the cracked door.

"Thank Gaia you're okay!" Yuffie jumped up and hugged her friend as Tifa entered the room.

Tifa returned the gesture and pulled away. "Vincent is in trouble. We have to save him." She turned her attention to Ramuh. "Why would Grimoire do such a thing? And to his son?!"

Ramuh shook his head. He honestly didn't have a sensible answer. Even he didn't understand why the kings and queens before Grimoire did the things they did. "I don't know, Princess Tifa, but I do know that it can all change with you and Vincent. But first, we must rescue him. We need to leave and meet Sephiroth at the chocobo stables."

"Where exactly did he go?" Tifa asked.

"After he got me, he left to go to the kitchen for food." Yuffie answered. "He said he'll meet us after he left there. I also went to your chambers and grabbed a few toiletries, money, and clothes for both you and Vincent. I hope you don't mind."

Yuffie held up the two bags with one in each of her hands. "It's fine. The carriage got abandoned back in Nibelheim. We can get more supplies when we reach there."

The trio nodded and left the chambers. Tifa stopped in mid stride. Ramuh and Yuffie turned around when they noticed Tifa's sudden halt.

"I need to go back to my chambers."

"Tifa, we don't have time!" Yuffie argued.

"I concur." Ramuh spoke. "We must leave at once."

"I know, but it's very important." Tifa turned and began running towards her chambers. "Go! I'll meet you guys there."

Yuffie wanted to run behind her friend, but Ramuh stopped her and shook his head. He began walking towards the entrance of the castle. Reluctantly, Yuffie followed behind Ramuh, hoping her friend would hurry up and stay safe.

* * *

Tifa made it to her chambers in a matter of seconds. She still was very weak from not eating anything all day, but the shower and massive amounts of water helped rejuvenate her somewhat. She went over to her piano and grabbed the music sheets from the top. She ran to the entrance, but stopped and turned to look at her bed. She ran over to Vincent's side and looked underneath it. She outstretched arm under the bed until she felt a bag. She pulled the bag from under the bed and took a glance inside of it a recognized the receipt from Jim's and Ruby's shop. She tucked the bag underneath between her armpit and side, turned, and walked out of her chambers with the items in tow. A figure suddenly appearing in front of her made her stop dead in her tracks. Her heart sank.

"And where do you think you're going?"

The tone in Grimoire's voice made her shiver. She didn't reply. She took careful steps backwards, never taking her eyes away from Grimoire.

"Your king asked you a question, you little bitch."

Tifa cut her eyes to Katherine. She clung to Grimoire's right side as she kissed Grimoire on his lips. The very action disgusted the princess.

"How could you?" Katherine and Grimoire focused on Tifa, taking note that her right hand was now balled into a tight fist. "Your own son?! How could the two of you do this to him?!"

"Vincent refused to follow the king's footsteps. That type of defiance isn't allowed here in Edge."

"Says who?!" Tifa angrily questioned as she turned all of her attention to Katherine. "Grimoire?! This is your son we're talking about."

Tifa felt her body angrily advance towards Katherine, pushing Grimoire aside. He grabbed her but she snatched her arm away from him, but never took her eyes away from Katherine.

"You've carried him inside of you for nine months. When you gave birth to him, I know you vowed to always protect him." Tifa paused for a brief moment, thinking Katherine would interject, but she never did. Instead the queen's facial expression seemed to soften a little. Maybe, just maybe, she could get through.

"What mother allows anyone, I mean mean _anyone_ , come in between herself and her child?! Your soon is fighting for his life! Probably being tortured just for Lucrecia's and Hojo's pleasure!"

Katherine didn't reply. She shot her gaze at Grimoire, who was glaring at the two women. Tifa, keeping her back against Grimoire, softly pushed Katherine away to gain some distance between them and Grimoire.

"That man doesn't care about your son, and he certainly doesn't care about you!"

"Watch your tongue, you wretch!"

Tifa continued, ignoring Grimoire's comment. "Katherine, Vincent never showed any signs of following Grimoire's footsteps, did he? Even as a mere child, he knew that the things that were going on around him wasn't normal. This has nothing to do with me! Vincent would've chose this path regardless of the treaty. Stand by him! Do you honestly want Vincent to think nothing but horrible things about you when he draws his last breath?!"

"That's enough you little bitch!" Grimoire warned.

"Grimoire is nothing! He's replaceable, but Vincent is your son! You can't replace your child. Help him! Help me help him! You're gonna honestly stand by this monster and watch him not only destroy this nation, but kill his son just so he can-

"I said that's enough!"

Tifa turned to see a blade flashed before her eyes. She had no time to react. She clutched her chest inefficiently as blood began to gush through her shirt. Her music sheets and bag flew out of her hand and in the opposite direction. Katherine gasped as she backed away from Tifa and Grimoire. Tifa tried to get up from the floor, but Grimoire rammed his foot onto her new wound, causing the princess to wince and fall back down. Her eyes widened as Grimoire raised his blade again. This was it. She was honestly surprised she managed to make it this far. She couldn't help but flinch away and shut her eyes tightly, sorrowfully awaiting for the blow.

Instead she heard some glass break and a loud thud followed behind. She opened her eyes to see Grimoire moaning and cursing while holding his head. Katherine glared at the king as she dropped the remaining few shards from the vase she grabbed from one of the corridor's shelves. No more will she act out of fear. She rushed over to Tifa's belongings and handed them to her. Katherine tore a piece of fabric from her cape and gave it to Tifa to staunch the bleeding.

"Hurry before he recovers!"

Tifa nodded and began running towards the entrance with Katherine right beside her. She wasn't a great mother; she was well aware of that. There was no way she could ever make up everything to Vincent after all she's done, but maybe there was still a chance to repair what's broken.

"Tifa! Katherine!"

The two women hurried their movements when Grimoire's voice echoed throughout the corridor. A few of the servants observed in fear as they saw their king chase the women down. The entrance was within their grasp. Tifa pushed forward as much as she could, holding the now bloodied fabric in her right hand, and Vincent's bag and her music sheets in her other hand.

Grimoire stopped running and began to ready a spell. Katherine looked over her shoulder as Grimoire began readying his magic. Her eyes widened and she stopped running. Tifa slowed her pace to look over her shoulder. The sight of Grimoire using magic frightened her even more.

"Thundaja!"

Tifa had never seen a Thunder spell used with so much deadly force. The lighting was purple and wrecked havoc and destroyed the corridor as the spell swiftly made it's way towards Katherine and Tifa. Tifa froze. There was no way she could outrun a spell, especially at the speed the Thunder spell was going.

Before she could fully process what was happening, Katherine casted a spell of her own and shot Tifa with it before the Thundaja spell could hit her. Katherine cried in agony as she fell to the floor, her chest now scorched from the intensity of the lightning. Tifa felt a little pain from the Thundaja spell, but whatever spell Katherine casted on her before falling absorbed most of the blow. Katherine turned her body, gasping for air and clutching her chest as Grimoire angrily walked towards her.

"Go.. Tifa. Tell...Vincent...that I'm sorry. And I'm sorry that I was...so horrible...to you."

Katherine managed to get back to her feet and waved for Tifa to leave. Tifa cried in anguish as Grimoire's blade went straight through Katherine's chest. Blood began to drip from the edge of the blade.

"You stupid bitch!"

Katherine tried to talk to Tifa, but all that came out was more blood and a gurgling sound. Tifa turned away and ran as Grimoire withdrew his blade and stabbed Katherine another time. He pushed his wife down and spat on her in disgust as he saw Tifa flee.

When Tifa began running towards the chocobo stables, she saw Sephiroth with his blade drawn. Him, Ramuh, and Yuffie heard the commotion coming from the castle. He put his blade in its sheath when he noticed Tifa running towards them at a much faster pace than normal. Tifa was a fit woman, but she's been traveling through the night and he imagined she had little to no food all day. How was it that she was running at such an unnatural pace?

He didn't have time to ponder as Tifa threw the items into Yuffie hands and instructed her friend to place them in her bag. Ramuh was on Jester with Sephiroth. Yuffie was on Chaos and Tifa was now mounting onto Ferrah. She was injured and her mind was elsewhere, but she was more than pleased that Ferrah had had a bath, food, and water. She tighten her reigns as best as she could as a sea of knights angrily approached the four. Sephiroth guided Jester over to Tifa to help her with the reigns. Once they were tighten, the four quickly escaped, leaving behind the only place they called home. They knew they couldn't return, not with the castle in such disarray and under Grimoire's control. Reclaiming Edge is the ultimate goal, but without Vincent, that goal is unobtainable. First, they needed to recover the future king and fast.


	14. Chapter 14

The group just ran, and they refused to stop until the chocobos refused to go any further. Ferrah falls to the ground, with Tifa narrowly jumping off of the over sized bird in enough time so she wouldn't topple over as well. Tifa isn't surprised that Ferrah's body completely gave out. The poor bird has been through a lot. Tifa winces as she rubs Ferrah's head to soothe her. Ramuh, Sephiroth, and Yuffie all got off of Jester and Chaos and decides to also let them take a break.

"I'm so sorry girl." Tifa sorrowfully coos. "I didn't mean to push you so hard."

Ferrah replies with a soft cry as her eyes slowly close shut.

"Tifa, let me see your wounds."

Tifa stands up to let Yuffie take a closer look of her.

"I'll make a small camp." Sephiroth speaks as he takes in their surroundings. They're on track, just as he planned.

He's more than certain the group has evaded Edge's knights. Not to brag, but Sephiroth trained his men well, but Sephiroth is always one step ahead of everyone, including his men. Sephiroth always feared the day he would have to defend Vincent to the point where it could cost him his head. A man going against his king is a dead man, but Sephiroth have always stated that his loyalty is always with Vincent, and that's why he prepared his plan carefully. He didn't expect Grimoire to make such a drastic move though he shouldn't be too surprised. Grimoire has been on a rampage these last few years.

There's a specific path Vincent and Sephiroth have trained Chaos and Jester to learn over the years, without Grimoire's knowledge. Not even Sephiroth's men knew about the trail. Should the day ever arrive when Sephiroth's or Vincent's hand is forced, they would take the path, and follow every movement to the letter to avoid being caught. Failure wasn't an option.

The start of the trail was very obvious. It was alongside a group of trees that were few feet away from the city. Twenty minutes into the trail, the path broke into three individual paths, at least to the naked eye. Sephiroth guided the group to a path that was covered by boulders, moss, and trees on the very far end of the right. It was dark, but Sephiroth didn't need his eyes to guide him; only his ears. The silver-haired man lead the weary group carefully along the path. By his request, and aside from walking, no one or the chocobos made a sound. Another set of trees and open field were revealed by the night sky but barely. The dark blue hue touched the tree's bark, barely illuminating the shadows of the tired group. Sephiroth picked up a rock and tossed it to the right. The rock hits some water, and Sephiroth smiled. They were on track. After an hour of walking through various paths filled with boulders, trees, and a pond here and there, the group finally made it to the specific shelter Sephiroth and Vincent hand picked years ago.

Sephiroth goes into the cave and starts to look for branches to start a fire. Ramuh guides Jester, Chaos, and Ferrah at the entrance of the cave and allows the exhausted birds to flop onto the ground. Yuffie and Tifa walks over to a tree that's a few feet from the cave. She leans against the tree while Yuffie tends to her minor leg wound.

"Grimoire's power...it was phenomenal...so powerful."

"That's fueled by hatred." Yuffie hears Tifa's tone. Tifa is beginning to doubt herself and now's not the time. If she loses faith now, Vincent is good as dead. "It can and will be defeated in due time. Focus on Vincent."

Tifa sighs heavily as Yuffie tore a piece of her clothing and wraps Tifa's wound. "I can only imagine what he's going through."

"Best not." Yuffie gets up from the ground. "Vincent is strong. Believe in him like he's believing in you."

Tifa gives her friend a half smile and the duo walks inside the cave. The chocobos are eating some food from some bowls while Ramuh is heating up what appears to be stew in a big pot. He shifts his focus between stirring the pot and casting Fira. Sephiroth comes back with a few blankets and pillows. Yuffie gladly accepts the blanket and pillow while Tifa just stares at the silver-haired commander. Just how long was Sephiroth planning this day? Deciding to remain silent, Tifa places her pillow on the ground and wraps herself in her blanket. The warmth feels amazing against her skin.

With no words exchanged between the weary group, Sephiroth hands a bowl over to Ramuh so he can pour some stew into it. Everyone is served a bowl of stew, with a warm blanket wrapping their tired bodies comfortably and a pillow that's not far from their reach.

"How long was this planned?"

The question was burning her throat so much that she had to ask. For people who are on the run from one of the most powerful nations in Gaia, they sure are comfortable. Even the chocobos are comfortable. She's of course happy that leaving Edge went smoother than she anticipated, but she still feels a little uneasy. Was Grimoire always this terrible, and if so, why wasn't he forced to step down?

"Back when Vincent began to question his father." Sephiroth finally answers. "He noticed his father's odd behavior when he was in his early teens. Of course things worsened when he found out you would be his bride."

"What do you mean?"

Sephiroth shoves a spoonful of stew before responding. "That is a conversation you will have with him privately.

Tifa, feeling defeated, remains silent and picks away at her stew.

"I can only imagine what you're going through, Princess." Ramuh speaks as he finishes the rest of his stew. "You're constantly told to have faith, yet you don't have all the pieces. I can assure you, you will have all the pieces when we reunite with Vincent."

An uncomfortable silence falls between the group. All that's heard is the clashing of spoons and chocobos making cooing noises as they softly lull to sleep. Ramuh gathers the empty bowls and walks to the back of the cave. Yuffie and Sephiroth begins to work on starting the fire, with Yuffie focusing on Fira spells, and Sephiroth slowly adding wood. A few minutes later, Ramuh returns with a few bottles of water in his hands. Sephiroth and Yuffie happily accepts, but Tifa spaces out, staring at nothing in particular with a dead look on her face. Ramuh frowns at her odd behavior and before he could say anything, the princess is up on her feet and quickly leaves.

"Don't." Yuffie stops both Sephiroth and Ramuh. "She's overwhelmed with her emotions. Let her be. She'll return on her own accord."

The men reluctantly agrees and sits on their blankets. After a few minutes have passed by, Yuffie gets up with a pillow, blanket, and water in tow. She goes over to the tree where Tifa is slumped on with her back against it. Her zombie-like expression never falters, even when Yuffie kneels beside her, and placing the items next her. Yuffie sees the blood-red eyes and multiple tear streaks on her face. Without saying a word to Tifa, Yuffie tosses the pillow on the opposite side of Tifa, and unfolds the blanket for both of them to share. The duo stares out to the darkness. Crickets are heard very faintly. Aside from the cave, there's little to no light. The moon illuminates a very dull light, lighting a few sets of trees off to the distance. A few minutes later goes by, and Yuffie hears Tifa's light snores. Knocked out cold from nothing but pure exhaustion. Knowing Tifa is out for the night, and Ramuh and Sephiroth are more than likely discussing a plan for Vincent's rescue, Yuffie decides to take the first shift in keeping watch.

* * *

There's no stale smell that greets Vincent's nose when he wakes up from his injury. He lazily looks around the unfamiliar room. There are no windows and there are several beakers scattered about on the tables that are in front of him. His back is completely cold. He tries to move, but soon discovers that he's strapped down to a cold, metal slab. Of course. This can only get worse. He tries to relax as much as he can, but the circumstances doesn't allow him. There are a set of needles and scalpels on a metal table to his right. He swallows hard at the sight as he hears a door opens. He turns his head to see Hojo and Lucrecia approaching him with malevolent grins on their faces.

"How's our guest doing this evening?"

The sound of Hojo's voice makes Vincent blood boils immediately. "I could use a blanket."

"Oh, this one has a sense of humor." Hojo cackles as he begins to draw invisible lines on Vincent's chest.

Lucrecia begins to rub Vincent's body as well, starting from his hip and slowly going down to his cock. She laughs when Vincent feebly tries to pull away from their touches.

"My, aren't we feisty? Show me how feisty you can be." Lucrecia purrs.

"Not even in your dreams." Vincent glares at the princess as she continues her touches on his cock.

The nerve of these two. He doesn't want their tainted hands on his body, but there's nothing he could do but lie there and accept his circumstances. Lucrecia stops on her ministrations and walks over to the small metal table next to Vincent.

"Is everything in order, Father?"

"Hmmm, everything is near completion, however..." Hojo's voice trails off as he reviews his notes on several pieces of parchment in his hands. His frowns deepens the more he shuffles the parchment. "It seems my calculations for the injection may be off a few milliliters."

"Well, we can't use it on him until it's perfected." Lucrecia grumbles, practically slamming the syringe down on the table.

"Mind your tongue, child. I'll have this sorted out soon." Hojo snaps and turns to Vincent. "And when I do, I do hope you enjoy the fun."

The madman's laugh is going to haunt Vincent for many weeks, possibly months, to come. Hojo leaves the room, leaving the vulnerable prince alone with his equally malevolent daughter. Vincent's skin crawls at the slightest touch from Lucrecia. Why? Why him? Sure, she mentioned earlier why she wanted to do this, but it doesn't make any sense. Are people in royalty this corrupted by their greed and power?

"What is this really about, Lucrecia?" There has to be more than she's letting on. "What is it about me that you want?"

"From the moment Katherine and Grimoire said I would be your wife, I knew we were going to create something great." She pauses for a moment, like she's trying to control her emotions. Vincent couldn't be sure. "But all of that ended when Grimoire sided with Midgar in that cursed peace treaty."

She goes quiet and removes her hand away from Vincent, which the young prince is grateful for, yet, he's nervous. Her sudden quietness has him on edge. The fact that she's standing so close to him with such rage is a bit unnerving.

"But that doesn't explain why you want me to be a part of your scheme."

"It's not a scheme!" Lucrecia snaps. "This is my destiny! We are meant to rule together! Not you and that slut!"

Vincent's head snaps to the right as the sting from Lucrecia's palm hits him at full force. He tried. He really did. He wanted to understand why Lucrecia is the way she is, to better understand her. Maybe even sympathize, but no. It's over. He has nothing for her, and he never will. She's far too delusional and completely irrational. She's so far down the abyss of despair that he can't even get a straight answer from her. Any small comment that insults her precious fantasy is a blow below the waist. It's sickening, but could be taken advantage of. For now, he wants her away from him, and he knows the perfect way to get her away.

"That slut," Vincent glares fiercely at the deranged princess. "will paint this room with your blood."

He bites into his bottom lip when the scalpel moves swiftly across his chest. He should be used to pain, considering the amount of damage he had received from his father over the years. A hand firmly grasps his neck. Lucrecia's hazel eyes burns an invisible hole into Vincent's retinas.

"I would love to see her try."

She slams his head back onto the metal slab and rushes out of the room. A tired but wry smile slowly graces his lips. He may be strapped to a cold, metal slab, completely naked, vulnerable, and at the mercy of his captors, but he's not completely weak. He has his deranged father to thank for experience in playing mind games. His mind races for multiple solutions to stay alive until Tifa comes back for him.

* * *

Tifa painfully stretches as she gets up from the ground. She prefers her bed back at home. Wait, could she even call it a home? Midgar was her home, her fake home to be more specific. Everything she had known there was a complete lie. Edge is the home she was forced into. In the condition it's in, Edge isn't her home, but she will make it her own. Feeling a little more motivated and less overwhelmed, Tifa walks to the entrance and is greeted with a bowl of eggs and potatoes.

"You need your strength, Princess."

Tifa smiles at Ramuh as her way of saying thanks as she happily accepts the bowl. "Where's Sephiroth and Yuffie?" She shoves a small portion of food into her mouth.

"Sephiroth is practicing with his sword, and Yuffie is taking a bath at the pond with the small waterfall."

Waterfall? She must've been really out of it last night to have missed that. She loves waterfalls. When she was younger, her and Yuffie would always dive insides ponds and mindlessly stare at waterfalls, and allow the sound to lull them into an intangible trance with no worries about their roles in the castle. Listening closely for the distinct sound, she hears the water cascading in a small body of water nearby by. She again happily thanks Ramuh and takes off to look for Yuffie, petting Ferrah on her head as she walks by.

It's a seven minute walk but she makes it the pond and see her friend floating and her eyes are closed. Tifa places the empty bowl on the ground carefully and removes her clothing. Yuffie, still not aware of Tifa's presence, inhales heavily as the sound of the water pulls her deeper into a blissful state. Her eyes suddenly shoots open and raises her body quickly to observe her surroundings when the temperature abruptly shifts.

"It's a good thing I love you because otherwise, you'll be a popsicle." Tifa giggles as Yuffie flings two handfuls of water at her.

"I'm grateful for being on your good side."

The two women bathe, exchanging filler conversation here in there. Once they were done, they get out of the pond and put their clothes back on. Tifa grabs the empty bowl and proceeds back to the camp with Yuffie by her side.

"On a more serious note, the water had gotten colder than usual."

"Hm?" Tifa frowns a little as she turns to Yuffie.

"Your Blizzara spell back at the pond." Yuffie clarifies. "I don't think it was a Blizzara spell. It may have been a Blizzaga spell."

"Are you sure?"

A part of Tifa is excited to hear that her magic is improving. Magic is a very delicate art that shouldn't be taken lightly. It commands a strong mind and hard work. It cannot be mastered if one of the two skills are lacking.

"Ramuh did mention that Sephiroth was training with his sword." Tifa comments. "Maybe I should try going up against him. After all, he's the commander of the army."

Yuffie nods. "That's a good point. I'll help Ramuh prepare for the departure. I'm sure we can't stay stationary for too long."

Once they were at camp, Yuffie takes Tifa's empty bowl and helps Ramuh clean up the site. They have to be sure that nothing is left behind. Not even a footprint. Remaining invisible to Grimoire's men is in their best interest, especially once they reunite with Vincent. Ramuh tells Tifa where Sephiroth is training and that him and Yuffie will meet them there once they are ready to travel.

Tifa follows Ramuh's instructions and she sees a flash of silver whirl around a tree then appear again only to give it a deadly slash, leaving a nasty mark in the bark. If that tree was an enemy, that person would be dead, possibly even split in half. Sephiroth is definitely a great opponent to spar against.

"Sephiroth." Tifa calls out to him. His long, silver hair is a sweaty mess. He pushes the damp bangs away from his face to get a better view. "I would like to spar with you."

"Really?" Sephiroth is very surprised. Their fighting styles are completely different, and they also need to get back to their journey. The sooner they recover Vincent, the better.

"Yes. When I was in Nibelheim, Lucrecia casted magic. I'm not sure how strong her powers are, or their army, but..." Her voice trails off as she looks down, struggling to find her words. After a moment she looks back up. "...I have to go into to Nibelheim prepared. I think my magic is evolving, and I need the help of a formidable opponent to test my strength."

Sephiroth nods, completely understanding where Tifa is coming from. To be honest, it wouldn't kill him to brush up on his skills as well. They'll be facing all of Nibelheim and Rocket Town. It'll be a difficult fight.

Sephiroth raises his sword and grips the hilt tightly. Tifa gives him a determined smile before raising her hands up.

"I won't actually strike you, Princess."

"You must." Tifa shakes her head. "Nibelheim won't think twice when it comes to cutting off my head. I need you to fight me as if I'm a real enemy."

Sephiroth is merely stunned by Tifa words. Do she realize what she is asking him? Is she not aware that they still have a long trek to go to get to Nibelheim? What would Vincent think if Sephiroth actually does injure Tifa?

The many thoughts clouds his mind so much that he doesn't realize that Tifa has launched herself forward and punches him in the center of his chest, firing a quick Blizzard spell as a follow up. Sephiroth quickly gets up, stunned that Tifa is able to combine physical hits and magical spells in quick chains. With his immediate shock washing over him, Sephiroth tightens his grip on his sword and lunges forward, swinging his massive sword at an upward angle. Tifa dodges the swing effortlessly and quickly does a backflip to widen the distance between herself and Sephiroth. As her feet connects with the ground, she casts Fire and, of course, Sephiroth slashes it away with his sword with no effort.

Sephiroth swings his sword three times in a very swift manner. Tifa is able to dodge the first two swings but the third swing nicks her ankle. She hisses as she takes a moment to compose herself. She conjures a Thundara spell into her fists, and slams it into the ground, causing a minor shake beneath their feet, and the ground splits into two as the lighting races towards Sephiroth. He dodges the split and the lighting but is caught off guard when the lighting splits into two, now intensifying as it travels faster to the commander. He's hit in the leg, and Tifa uses his vulnerability to her advantage. She rushes towards him, ignoring the minor pain she feels in her ankle, and connects her foot with his chest, using the momentum to do a backflip and cast Blizzara. The spell connects and Sephiroth quickly slash himself free from the frozen prison before Tifa lands her feet on the ground.

Both of them takes a brief moment to acknowledge each others strengths. Sephiroth is beyond impressed with Tifa. He has always heard good things about her trainings sessions from Vincent and Ramuh, but getting to experience her abilities first hand was an honor. Sephiroth charges forward, and Tifa does the same. As she predicts, Sephiroth goes for a forward slash, and she preemptively ducks down and does a sweeping motion with her legs. Sephiroth jumps and avoids Tifa's attack then casts Thundara as a follow up while he's in midair. Tifa rolls out of the way just in time and performs a jumping uppercut. Sephiroth parts his legs in enough time and grabs Tifa's hand. She gasps but quickly snaps out of her shock when she grabs Sephiroth's hand and prevents him from hitting her with his sword.

They crash onto the ground with a slightly painful thud. Tifa gracefully performs yet another backflip to gain some distance and immediately casts what appears to be a Blizzaga spell. The spell has way more intensity than her Blizzara and Blizzard spells. Giant glaciers appears at Sephiroth's feet as he quickly side stepped out of the way. Lighting blasts through the glaciers. The intensity from the lightning is more intense than a usual Thundara spell. Pieces of ice shards hits Sephiroth in the face as his chest burned heavily from the lighting Tifa cast towards him. He's now on the ground clutching his now aching chest. He looks up, one eye squinted shut, to see a deadly fireball is coming towards him at a fast pace. He raises his sword in hope to deflect the spell, but the fireball hits a barrier instead. The spell reflects from the barrier and shoots back at Tifa. Tifa didn't expect her spell to be reflected. She quickly tries to dodge, but the flames singes her battle attire at the very bottom. She quickly pats the fire away before it does any real damage to her.

"You have come a long way, Princess."

Tifa looks up to see her mentor standing at a distance between herself and Sephiroth but in the center of them.

"Thank you, Ramuh." She gets up from the ground. "I've been trying my very best to master as many spells."

"You are doing an amazing job." Sephiroth gets up from the ground as well. "Although I held back, your skills are amazing. You've managed to master Blizzaga, Thundaga, and Firaga and managed to cast them back to back, giving me no room to recover."

"I told her her magic is improving quite well." Yuffie joins the group with Jester, Ferrah, and Chaos by her side. "The water was too cold and intense for a Blizzara spell."

"The more disciplined you are, the more effective your spells will be." Ramuh speaks as he walks over to Tifa and places his hands on her shoulders. "Be sure to have a clear mindset. Without it, you will never be able to truly master it."

Tifa nods. "Yes sir. When Vincent is rescued, it would be an absolute honor if you could teach me some defensive spells like that Reflect spell you just cast. A good offense is backed by a great defense."

Ramuh smiles at his pupil. "Indeed it is, but first, we must make haste to Nibelheim. Time is of the essence."

The group gives each a motivational nod and everyone hops on the chocobos and heads towards Nibelheim, with Sephiroth leading the group. Even though they are behind because of their dilly-dallying, they should be able to make it to Nibelheim by sunset. Everything is going according to plan.

* * *

"People of Edge, I have gathered you here today to inform you that Prince Vincent, Commander Sephiroth, and Princess Tifa have betrayed you all!"

There are several gasps and whispers among the citizens of Edge. Doubt and confusion is amongst them. Just what Grimoire wants. He's aware that his peasant citizens can't think for themselves. They need someone to guide them, and they are so foolish, they would believe anything Grimoire says, just the way Grimoire needs things to be.

"They have assassinated Queen Katherine. May she rest in peace." More whispers are shared between the citizens until Grimoire raises his hands to cease all conversations. "Make no mistake, these perpetrators will be brought to justice. A hefty reward is in order for anyone who finds Princess Tifa alive. The life of Prince Vincent and Commander Sephiroth doesn't matter."

When no one moves, Grimoire grimaces. Perhaps the citizens aren't as stupid as he makes them out to be. Or, Tifa's and Vincent's influence have poisoned them. This make be an issue. "What are you waiting for?! Find the murderers or there'll be dire consequences."

Everyone begins to quickly disperse before Grimoire could utter another word. Ruby is among the citizens who watched their 'king' make his speech. She knows Vincent's and Tifa's heart. It's pure and they would never do such a thing. She walks towards her home, while simultaneously getting shoved around by folks quickly passing by to get far away from Grimoire as possible. Ruby is glad her and Jim decided to purchase a home that's easily accessed by taking a few side streets that are off from the main road leading to the town center, where Grimoire held the town meeting.

"Jim, we've got to help them."

Jim looks up from his order book. "What did King Grimoire say?"

"A bunch of lies." Ruby frowns as she slowly takes a seat next to Jim. He closes the book and sets it aside to give his wife his undivided attention. "He wants to reward the person who finds Princess Tifa alive. Commander Sephiroth's and Prince Vincent's means nothing to that madman."

"How can we help them?" Jim understands why Ruby is displeased, hell, he's displeased as well, and it's not because Tifa and Vincent are great customers. He's grown very fond of the pair over the last few months and he truly believes they will keep this nation safe, but he wants to be alive to see their reign.

"If we aide them in any way, we are as good as dead. Besides, we don't know where they are at."

"But we could estimate where they could go for assistance." Ruby gets up from the couch and walks to the closet. She pulls out some parchment, an ink bottle, and a quill.

"I'm going to put together a small care package for them and send Chloe to Junon." Ruby begins to write the letter, explaining the situation to the receiver.

"You mean...?"

Ruby looks up to see Jim's shocked expression. "The prince is going to need the assistance from his old friend. Wherever he is at, I'm sure he'll seek his aid."

* * *

"You're going to need your strength." Lucrecia sways a piece of steak in front of Vincent's face in a teasing manner. Vincent doesn't say anything. He simply opens his mouth and Lucrecia politely puts the piece of meat into his mouth. Vincent chews the meat slowly as Lucrecia cuts another piece. He wants to play along with her games, but he doesn't want to give her any satisfaction beyond that.

His stomach angrily growls, or it may be out of satisfaction. He isn't sure when his last meal was. So much for not giving her much satisfaction.

"My, my, aren't we hungry this evening. You know, I'm a great chef in the kitchen." She gives him another piece and again cuts off another piece. "I'll cook as many meals as you want when we are together."

"Earlier you mentioned about reigning with me is your destiny. What if you don't like the results?"

Lucrecia smiles as she gives Vincent another piece of meat. "Don't worry, Vincent. You won't disappoint me. I have faith in you."

Vincent pauses briefly to eat his steak before speaking. "Have you truly thought this through? What about your father and my allegiance to Edge?"

He doesn't dare speak of Tifa. The longer he can keep Lucrecia in a good mood, the better his chances of survival.

"You're worrying too much, my love." Lucrecia gives Vincent another portion of steak. "We'll cross those bridges when we get there."

Lucrecia places the plate on the metal table next to Vincent. She grabs the cup of water and slowly brings it to Vincent's lips. Against his better judgement, he greedily slurps the water. Lucrecia pulls the cup away when she feels that Vincent has had enough and sets it back on the table. She grabs the plate again, and coat the fork with a generous amount of mashed potatoes.

"So much to accomplish, Lucrecia. We need to plan everything carefully." Dear Gaia, he hates giving into this delusion, but it's his only chance of survival.

"It's okay. Everything is going according to plan. Now that my father has done his part, it's time for him to go away." Lucrecia pulls the fork away from Vincent's mouth, noticing his hesitation. Lucrecia smiles as she cuts another piece of steak and grabs another portion of mashed potatoes.

"Father just wants to torture you until you draw your last breath but I have other plans." This time Vincent doesn't accept the food. He just stares into Lucrecia's eyes. "There's no need for concern. I played along to get you here. You see, Father wanted you here, to kill you to get you out of the way and take over Edge."

Vincent doesn't accept the food when Lucrecia presents it to his lips. "Refusing to eat your food? I was hoping you would finish all of your food. You're gonna need your strength."

Is she serious? Vincent was already skeptical about accepting any food from Lucrecia, but her delusion is so strong that he doubted heavily that she would poison him. Her ultimate goal is to live out her fantasy with him, which he still doesn't fully understand, other than it's her 'destiny' to be with him. She has completely lost her mind.

"I know you still carry a torch for that whore you were forced to marry." Lucrecia's voice makes his eyes shift over to the syringe that she's holding. She taps on the needle three times, and readies the plunger.

"I'll wipe her from your memory, if it's the last thing I do."

Lucrecia swiftly shoves the syringe into Vincent's neck without warning. He stifles a scream as he feels the liquid traveling through his body. He suddenly begin to feel hot with a slight tingly sensation. Lucrecia smiles as she strokes his face and removes the syringe from his neck. She leans into his ear and gives it a small lick.

"I'll be back for your next dose soon. In the meantime, I'm going to have you transported to our bedroom."

She gives his ear another lick before pulling away and walking out of the room. Vincent silently stares up and the cemented ceiling, his vision slowly blurring and swaying from side to side. He can only pray that Tifa is close by.


	15. Chapter 15

The sky is beginning to turn into an orangish-purplish hue. The ragged crew are beyond exhausted, but with their combined determination, they've managed to make it to the outskirts of Nibelheim a few hours ahead of schedule. They aren't sure how far is Edge's search for them, if there is one in place in the first place, but the trip to Nibelheim was trouble-free because they didn't run into any of Edge's soldiers, which the crew is more than relived about that. They take refuge inside a small cavern a few feet away from Nibelheim's gate. Sephiroth climbs into a nearby tree for some recon while the rest of the group goes inside of the cave to regain their strength. They're all taking on a serious battle soon.

For a nation that has a royal member hostage, they sure are doing a poor job in maintaining their parameters, even with Rocket Town's assistance. There are two guards at the very front of the gate, and two inside the towers that hovers over the gate. From what Sephiroth can make out with just his bare eyes, that's all the security at the entrance. There are no chocobos, additional guards, or obvious traps set in place. There's always a possibility that there are more knights ahead awaiting for an attack, but based on what Tifa has informed Sephiroth about Nibelheim's defenses, even with Rocket Town's abysmal support, Nibelheim's forces aren't too tough. Tifa and Vincent managed to incapacitate a few knights before Tifa fled, so the group could use that to their advantage. Looks can be deceiving, but Sephiroth has to create his plan with more potential threats in mind, including Hojo and Lucrecia.

Sephiroth climbs out of the tree and joins the group inside the small cavern. Yuffie almost immediately presents him with a bowl of soup. He gratefully accepts it and takes a seat next to Ramuh.

“What's our current status?” Ramuh asks as he slowly turn the hot contents inside the bowl.

“At the front gate, there are four knights on guard duty. None of them are from Rocket Town, so I'm assuming Nibelheim's reinforcements are inside the city.”

“We must also consider the citizens a threat as well.” Tifa comments after taking a swig of her soup. “When I fled, Lucrecia ordered the citizens to attack myself and Vincent. I don't want to harm anyone, other than Hojo and Lucrecia.”

“Understandable, but we may be put into a position where there may be a few casualties.” Sephiroth pauses to gauge Tifa's reaction. She hangs her hang low.

“I understand, Sephiroth. It's just that...” She pauses for a moment to place her bowl on the ground and adjusts her posture. “I wish it didn't have to come to that. I'm slowly coming to terms with the ugliness with becoming a queen. It requires tough decisions, like this one.”

“It's okay to feel, Tifa.” Yuffie places a reassuring look at Tifa. Tifa looks into her friend's eyes. “When you start to not feel anything, that's when you should be concern.”

Tifa gives Yuffie a small nod and picks up her bowl, feeling a little at ease. Ramuh collects everyones bowls and Sephiroth heads to the entrance of the cave to peek at Nibelheim's gate.

“I can only imagine what he's going through.” Tifa says barely as she joins Sephiroth.

“Try not to think about.” Sephiroth reassures. “Just think about getting him out of there alive.”

“And rebuilding him. I'm no fool. I know he's going to be damaged when we get to him.”

Knowing she's correct, Sephiroth says nothing. He too is also wondering about Vincent's state when they get to him. He's well aware that Vincent will not be in great condition once he's recused, however, there's so little the group can do at the time of day. They will wait until nightfall and attack.

* * *

Vincent slowly opens his eyes and see nothing but blurry images. Lucrecia have been coming in and out of the bedroom every thirty minutes like clockwork as promised. This is the seventh injection and he's beginning to lose himself. He tosses his head to the center to look up to the ceiling, at least that is what he's assuming, his breathing slurs at the motion.

“Have you had enough?” Lucrecia purrs in his ear.

“Have......y-you?” Vincent wants to snatch himself away from the deranged woman, but as much as tries, his body wouldn't allow him to do so.

“All drugged up and still fighting ever so hard? You'll cave soon.”

“Why...why are you...” Vincent tries to swallow away the dryness in his mouth, but failing miserably. He tries to speak again. “Why are you drugging....me?”

Lucrecia sighs and rolls her eyes as she places the used needle on the desk beside Vincent. “Since you're being difficult, I had to make you more complacent in my plans. I meant when I said I wanted to reign with you.”

She runs her hand over his soft cock, grinning menacing at Vincent's reaction. “One day, I'll love to have your complete consent, until then, this will have to do.”

Even in his drug induced state, Vincent couldn't help but cackle. “So...you plan to...rape me to have your way?”

“This is just a temporary thing.” Lucrecia's voice lowers into a soothing voice as she rubs her hands over Vincent's face. He doesn't want to squander the energy to snatch away from her. “In due time, this will be normal. Please understand that this is temporary. Until then...”

Lucrecia pushes herself away and gives Vincent a small injection in his neck, which he can't see since his vision is blurred, but is glad that Lucrecia is away from him. “I need to make some last minute preparations before our night of passion.”

Lucrecia winks and walks out of the bedroom, leaving Vincent alone in the bed, head still swimming with the amount of drugs in his system. An orangish-purplish hue peers through the window. He's sure he has been held captive for at least two days now. If everything is on track, then his friends should be on the outskirts of Nibelheim. Judging by the blurry coloring coming from the window, night is approaching. He just needs to hold out for a few more hours; he's not sure if he will be able to make it.

* * *

As soon as the moon slowly ascends into the sky, the team starts to prepare their mission.

“Let's make sure we have everything in order.” Sephiroth stands up from the ground, making eye contact with Ramuh, Yuffie, and Tifa. “Tifa and I will infiltrate the castle. Yuffie will take care of any guards on the outside. Ramuh will flank anyone who chases the group when Vincent is with us. Tifa has mentioned that the citizens may be hostile. Deal with them accordingly. I know they're innocent, but if they strike at us, we must strike back.”

Everyone gives Sephiroth a determined nod and leaves the cave, each going to their respective starting position. Tifa and Sephiroth cautiously approaches the tower closer to them. Yuffie rushes ahead of them to the bottom of the tower, looking over her shoulders several times before climbing up the tower. Thankfully for the group, there's a huge barricade next to the tower, which makes climbing up the tower an easy task. Physically, it's exhausting, but during the briefing, Sephiroth wasn't sure if the steps are made of wood or metal. Metal echos easily and wood breaks easily. They simply couldn't take any chance in alerting Nibelheim of their uninvited visit. There are huge pieces of cloth hanging from the tower as well, which is another reason why Sephiroth ultimately asked Yuffie to climb the tower rather than walk. As long as she doesn't make too many sudden movements while she climbs, she can reach the top undetected.

Yuffie makes it to the top and immediately pounces on the guard. A brief crack later, Yuffie gives Sephiroth a thumbs up, signaling him and Tifa to move to the other tower. Sephiroth effortlessly climbs the tower, and moments later, he gives Yuffie and Tifa the okay to proceed. Nodding, Yuffie flicks a tiny Fire spell in Ramuh's direction, and climbs down the tower, staying close to the barricade next to the tower when she hits the ground. Tifa moves into the town vigilantly, taking note that the carriage used on her first travel to Nibelheim is still in the pen.

Tifa quickly hides behind a stack of barrels when she hears a few voices coming from what appears to be a pub. There's loud chatter and music coming from the building. A drunk woman's voice screeches a few feet from the entrance, with laughter from two other women joining after.

Sephiroth joins Tifa moments later, signaling for them to go to the back. Tifa nods and peers around the corner before walking, motioning for Sephiroth to follow behind her. There's no one in sight of the alley, despite being around a pub, but judging by the few patrons that Tifa has heard, she's more than certain the alleys will soon be flooded by drunks in a few minutes.

Carefully, the pair rounds another corner and pauses behind a home. There's shuffling going on near the window and it appears a mother is putting her child down for the night. Once the mother has said her good night, and leaves the bedroom, the pair cautiously pushes onward, listening very carefully for anything.

It doesn't take them long to get close to the castle. Sephiroth signals for Tifa to stop, and step a few steps ahead of her to assess what's ahead. There are only two guards at the entrance and none on the side of the castle, which is quite baffling to Sephiroth, but Nibelheim's neglect to the castle makes their mission easier.

“There are still people awake in town, so let's avoid the guards at the entrance and check for an opening on the sides or the back of the castle.”

Tifa nods. “Sounds like a plan. Should we signal Yuffie and Ramuh?”

“Not until we have a for sure way of getting inside.” Sephiroth notices the guards talking to one another at the entrance. If they're gonna move in, now's the time. “Let's move while they're distracted.”

Without another word being said, Tifa follows Sephiroth's lead. The pair makes sure to stay low to the ground and stay hidden behind any objects as much as they could to remain undetected. They pause behind a few bushes and assess the positions of any guards or knights they may have missed. When they see no immediate threat, the pair continue to move along the side of the castle. Unfortunately for them, there's no door or hatch they could enter. There aren't any bushes or barrels Sephiroth and Tifa can hide behind, so they each pick a tree that's not too far apart from each other.

Sephiroth's excellent hearing picks up on faint footsteps. He signals for Tifa to stop her movement and points to his sword. Tifa nods and readies her fists and anxiously awaits Sephiroth's next command. Three knights walks from the back and rounds the corner, unaware of Tifa's and Sephiroth's presence. On Sephiroth's signal, he comes from behind the tree and slashes two of the knights in one sifts motion, and Tifa follows behind him to kick the other knight into the wall, breaking his neck and killing him in the process. All three knights falls in unison, and Sephiroth immediately picks up one and put the knight over his shoulders.

“We need to get them out of sight. Try not to leave a blood trail.”

Tifa places a knight on her shoulders as best as she could and drags the dead weight over to the tree where she hid. Moments later, Sephiroth drops the other knight.

“This armor isn't from here.” Sephiroth remarks as he kneels down and cast a small Fire spell in his palm to observe the dead knights.

“They're reinforcements from Rocket Town.” Tifa kneels beside Sephiroth to reach into their pockets for any valuables. “Nothing.”

“Not to worry. Based on the condition of this castle and town, finding an entrance around the back will be easy. Still, if their reinforcements are still stationed here, we have to continue to stay vigilant.”

Nodding, Tifa stands up to look around while Sephiroth casts away his Fire spell and leads the way to the back. The pair pauses at the corner, with Sephiroth peeking around the corner. With no sight or sound from anyone, Sephiroth proceeds, but signals for Tifa to wait. Sephiroth's emerald eyes dances between the wooded area and the back wall, looking for any signs of a threat. To his relief, there's no one in sight and there's a door leading inside the castle. Sephiroth signals Tifa's somewhat hidden figure that everything is fine. Happily nodding, she shoots a tiny Thunder spell into the air, hoping either Ramuh or Yuffie will see the spell. Not even two seconds later, there's a return Thunder spell, letting Tifa know that they're okay.

“They're fine.” Tifa speaks as joins Sephiroth at the door. “I'm ready whenever you are.”

“Good. Stay on your guard.”

The pair proceeds into the castle, their guards at the ready for any fight that may come their way. The back door leads to a basement area, potentially a dungeon, to the castle. If this area is indeed part of the dungeon, Sephiroth and Tifa needed to make their presence disappear from this area immediately. Based on Tifa's observation on her last visit, Lucrecia and Hojo treats their people like scum on the ground. She wouldn't be surprised if people are held here for no good reason.

There's a steel door on the far end of the room. Sephiroth goes on one side, and Tifa goes to the other, both peeking out of the small window before opening the door, with Sephiroth leading the way. Tifa tugs on Sephiroth's cape when she hears sniffling. She juts her pointer finger down the hall. Sephiroth takes two small steps and faintly sees a few cells down the hall. Sephiroth turns to look at Tifa, and he notices there's no other way out of the dungeon, but down that hallway. With no other options, Sephiroth and Tifa jogs down the hall.

“Everyone, please don't say anything.” Tifa stops in the middle of six cells, three on each side, with each one holding at least one prisoner.

“Princess Tifa?” An older woman calls out to Tifa's right.

“Yes, wait-” Tifa narrows her eyes. She could've sworn she has seen this woman before. Of course. “You're the woman who attacked me when I escaped.”

“Princess, I'm sorry I-”

“No.” Tifa shakes her head as she approaches the cell. “You were only doing what you were told.”

“Thank you, Princess Tifa.”

Sephiroth approaches the cell. “I hate to be insensitive, but we have a mission to carry out.”

“Right.” Tifa replies sadly. These people are probably in here for letting her escape alive. “Is there any knights around with the keys? I promise to come back and free each and every one of you after I finish my objective.”

The older woman shakes her head. “Only King Hojo holds the keys to the cells. He's usually in his lab. Lately, he's been creating drugs.”

Tifa swallow away a lump in her. She backs away from the cell, overwhelmed with the possibly that Vincent may be drugged.

“Thank you for your information, ma'am.” Sephiroth steps in. “All of you,” Sephiroth acknowledges the rest of the prisoners. “Give her time. Princess Tifa will come back.”

Either the people of Nibelheim are extremely gullible or they truly trust Tifa. Sephiroth couldn't understand how they're so trusting of an enemy nation so easily, but then again, Sephiroth have the inkling that these people aren't treated like human beings. If someone were to offer them even just a sliver of hope, who is he to pass judgement on them? He will be sure to remind Tifa of her promise, assuming she would forget. It's nearly impossible for her to forget. She has a heart of gold.

Sephiroth and Tifa leaves the dungeon, more determined than ever to not only find Vincent, but to liberate the prisoners. Upon leaving the dungeon, the path split into a left and a right path. To the left is nothing but darkness. Possibly leading to another dungeon. Ultimately, Sephiroth and Tifa opts to go to the right since there are at least a few torches hanging in the hallway.

Not wasting anymore time, the duo moves forward, of course listening for any threats. They reach a steel door, and Sephiroth peeks through the small window. Sephiroth holds up two fingers and Tifa nods. On a three-two-one- count, Sephiroth kicks down the door. Tifa quickly whips over to the right and kicks a knight in the gut, causing him to groan loudly and clutch his stomach. Sephiroth quickly offs his opponent by shoving his sword in the center of the knight's stomach.

“Where's the lab?” Tifa grits at the trembling knight that she has by the throat. Sephiroth wipes away the blood from his sword, and joins Tifa by her side.

“Get to talking or suffer like your friend did over there.”

“Okay I'll talk!”

“And keep your voice down.” Tifa punches the knight the face. Sephiroth observes Tifa's behavior in astonishment. She knows when and how to act accordingly; a trait every great queen must have. Her drive to save the people of Nibelheim and Vincent gives him an unexpected boost to complete their mission.

“If you go down this corridor, make a right, and the path will split. Take another right and there should be a door leading to the lab, but the they're are knights on guard. You won't make it there alive.”

“Well you wont be alive to know now, will you?” Sephiroth glares down at the knight.

Before the knight could react, Sephiroth shoves his sword in the knight's chest, blood quickly pooling underneath the knight's now dead body. Tifa snatches her hand away from the knight's throat just in time to avoid the blood spurts coming from the knight's mouth.

“Ready to proceed?” Sephiroth wipes away the blood on his sword.

With a nod, the duo proceeds down the corridor, like the knight said. The knight wasn't lying when said that there were knights guarding the entrance to Hojo's lab. Sephiroth counted at least eight, four on each side of the corridor, leading up to the steel door.

“There's no way we're going to get inside of there without making a commotion.” Sephiroth readies his weapon.

“To minimize the noise, I'll use magic as a last resort.”

“Gauge Hojo with caution. There's no telling what this madman has created in the damned lab.”

Tifa nods and readies her fists. On Sephiroth's signal, he kicks down the door and charges for the first two knights. Tifa lunges forward, does a tuck and roll, and kicks the third knight on the right, and roundhouse kick the fourth knight. The fifth and sixth knight readies their weapons a second too late, as Sephiroth immediately slits the throat of one of the knights and Tifa punches the other unconscious. The remaining two knights runs away and into the lab, with Tifa and Sephiroth on their trails.

“King Hojo, there are-”

Sephiroth stabs one knight in the back, with the sword going straight through the knight's body. Tifa follows up with kicking the last knight in the stomach and snapping his neck, both knights falling at the feet of their murderers. The duo glares at Hojo's standing figure. The madman has his back turned to them with a vial of some strange liquid in his hands. He didn't even flinch when the knights barged into the door.

“So you've finally arrived, Princess Tifa.” He turns to face her. “Oh, you've brought a friend. How delightful.”

“Where's Vincent?” Tifa doesn't want to waste any time on some stupid dialogue with this man.

“Quick to the point. I like that.” Hojo sets the vial down while walking over to a greenish-bluish liquid in another vial.

Sephiroth tightens his grips, but Tifa gives him a warning. She at least wants to know Vincent's location before doing damage to Hojo. That, and he could easily throw anyone of those deadly looking liquids at either one of them, and there's no telling what's inside of them.

“If you must know, he's with Lucrecia.”

“And where exactly is their location?”

Hojo turns to Tifa for a brief moment. “Wouldn't you like to know what my daughter is doing to your 'husband'?”

Tifa tightens her jaw. “It doesn't matter.” She flicks a small Thunder spell with the flick of her wrist as a way to intimidate Hojo. “Where are they?”

“You're really efficient with magic.” Hojo is genuinely impressed, and his snarky attitude falls a little. “But magic alone won't save you, your friend, or your dear husband. He's being prepped for the future of Nibelheim, Rocket Town, and Midgar!”

Hojo's cackles maniacally as he mixes two liquids together to create a ruby red color. He places it down and moves on to the next vial.

“Where's Vincent?” Sephiroth is losing his patience.

“Lucrecia's plan is to reign with Vincent in every way possible.” He returns his gaze to Tifa, the corner of his mouth lifting in venom. “She wishes to bare his legacy while I dominate the people. Think of power we will have!”

Sephiroth, unable to hear Hojo's babbling, lunges forward. Hojo smirks as he throws down a vial, a fiery explosion coming immediately after the vial broke against the floor. Quickly, Tifa casts Blizzaga. The spell absorbs most of the explosion, but Sephiroth is still hit in the right shoulder. Though injured, he's still able to swing his sword, knocking over several vials. Two blue monsters with purplish tentacles and a shell over its head, and three monsters with the same colored tentacles also appears, only the head of the beast is green.

Tifa is a bit taken back, but quickly shakes away her shock, casting a Thundara spell at one of the beasts. With a loud screech, the beast writhes in pain before going limp.

“No! My precious test subject!” Hojo screams as he kneels next to his creation.

“Tifa, go find Vincent.” Sephiroth inhales sharply as he regains his composure and readies his sword.

“Be careful, Sephiroth.” Tifa casts Cura on Sephiroth, immediately alleviating all the pain in his right shoulder.

Sephiroth nods, as his way of saying thanks, and charges forward towards one of the beasts. Tifa casts Fira towards Hojo to keep some sort of distance between himself and Sephiroth and buy Sephiroth more time in killing the beasts. She turns on her heel and charges out of the lab.

* * *

His vision hasn't improved in the last hour. The raven-haired prince is so doped up he couldn't see straight. He kept his eyes half lidded as he stares at the ceiling. He feels a certain wetness around his eyes bags. Not from crying, but he couldn't stop his eyes from watering. He wouldn't dare give Lucrecia the satisfaction.

A door opens and Lucrecia emerges from behind it, closing it behind her scantly clad figure. She saunters over to Vincent's weakened body and places her hand on his cheek.

“It's time, my love.” She purrs as she throws one leg on one side of Vincent's body, while keeping the other leg on the other side and straddles him.

She leans forward and kisses him roughly on the lips, receiving a moan in displeasure. She smiles at him as she reaches down and rubs his cock. After the many injections, the drugs seems to have finally taken over Vincent's body. His cock slowly stretches into her hand, which makes her smile widens. While rubbing Vincent's cock, she takes her pointer and middle fingers and rubs on clit, throwing her head and moaning from the pleasure.

“I'm going to cum so hard for you darling.”

Lucrecia licks her now slicked fingers and tastes her juices, relishing at her juices. She leans in and softly gnaws at Vincent's ear, while thrusting her hips upwards. She lowers herself onto Vincent's cock slowly, reeling in the feeling of having Vincent inside of her. She pulls away and lets out a moan, while scratching Vincent's already marred chest.

“You feel incredible, Vincent.”

He wants to shove this lunatic off of him. As much as he fought against the drugs, the drugs are beginning to take over his body. He doesn't want this, he really doesn't, but his body is saying otherwise. He tries to lift a limb or open his mouth to speak words, but to no avail, nothing happens. His entire body is numb, yet his cock responds perfectly to Lucrecia.

The intrusion is unwanted, and his mind is screaming at him, but his body is loving it. Loving the warm juices that are coating his slick cock. Eyes, though lidded and blurred vision, can see Lucrecia's breast bounce up and down as she fucks him. She reaches for his neck and grasps it lightly as her moans become louder, and her motions quickens.

“Yes! Yes!”

Her walls tighten completely as she shudders hard as she rides out her orgasm. Vincent frowns as he fights the urge to cum. Though he is completely defenseless, and doesn't want this to happen in the slightest, it has been a while since he has had a sexual encounter, completely out of respect for Tifa, but the drugs are tearing his ability to fight. He's fading and fast.

“Cum for me, love. Let us reign together.”

Lucrecia repositions herself to give herself more leverage and quickens her pace even more. She can feel Vincent on the brink of cumming. Oh so close....

The door blasts through the room, with Tifa entering the room, and eyes immediately fixates on Lucrecia. Without hesitation, she casts Thunder towards Lucrecia. Lucrecia effortlessly dodges the spell by rolling off of Vincent and grabbing her discarded robe from the floor.

“You damned bitch!” Lucrecia yells as she casts Fire.

Without flinching, Tifa dodges the spell by side dodging to the right. She runs forward, jumping onto the bed and doing a frontwards flip and casting Blizzara at the same time. Even in her nearly naked state, Lucrecia still manages to dodge Tifa's spell.

“This is my destiny!”

The deranged princess casts a Thunder, Blizzard, and Fire spell in cession. Lucrecia's spells are abysmal compared to Tifa's, but Lucrecia is a bit faster than Tifa. Tifa is able to dodge the first two, but her shoulder is nicked by the last spell. Hissing, she composes herself, and keeps her focus on Lucrecia. Lucrecia follows up her onslaught of spells with more, and Tifa gracefully performs several wall kicks to evade the spells, and follows up her evasion with a frontwards flips, with a Blizzaga spell cast behind it. Lucrecia tries to dodge, but her right foot is caught by the spell. It stuns her, and the stun is just enough time for Tifa to move in, and grab the deranged women by the throat.

Tifa slams her into the front of bed, and before Lucrecia could recover, Tifa kicks her in the back of the head, causing her head to slam forward and collide with the bed violently. Tifa grasps a handful of hair in her fist. She hated this woman with every blood vessel inside of her. What this woman has done to her castle, her people, her husband....it's all unforgivable.

In a rage, she shoves Lucrecia onto the floor, mere inches away from Vincent's weakened body. She casts a simple Thunder spell to stop Lucrecia in her tracks. Tifa gets on top of Lucrecia and punches the woman in the face. Whatever came over her at that moment, she wanted more. She wants Lucrecia to feel the pain her and her cruel father has inflicted onto people over the years, and in recent events, Vincent.

Tifa follows up her punch with another punch and then another one. By the fifth punch, one of Lucrecia's teeth flew across the room. Her face begin to bruise and blood is now adorning Tifa's fists but Tifa doesn't let up. She continues her assault. Punch after punch, she keeps going, until her body wouldn't allow her anymore.

Tifa looks over Lucrecia's corpse, bloodied and abused, and Tifa, whether surprisingly or not, doesn't feel not an ounce of remorse for she has just done. She killed a woman to a bloody pulp, and is glad that she no longer exists to hurt innocent people. Tifa slowly stands, and looks over to the bed to see Sephiroth covering Vincent's exposed body with the bedsheets.

The two men looks at Tifa, completely blanked faced. Her clothes littered in Lucrecia's clothes, and her face shows no emotions in regards to Lucrecia.

“I have to free the prisoners.”

Sephiroth pauses for a moment. “Right.” He reaches into his pocket and gives Tifa the dungeon keys.

“And Hojo?”

“Dead along with his abominations.”

Tifa nods. “Please meet Ramuh and Tifa.” She glances over to Vincent and then back at Sephiroth. “He needs help immediately. I would give him a simple Cure spell to hold him over, but my mind isn't right. Besides,” She turns away as she walks to the entrance of the bedroom. “I don't want to go near him because I'm tainted.”

“I understand, Tifa.”

Tifa leaves the room, leaving Sephiroth alone with Vincent. Sephiroth secures the bedsheet as best as he could before forcing Vincent's limp body on his back, and he carries his depleted prince piggyback style.

“I never....knew.....she could be so.....dangerous.” Vincent mumbles as his head sway left to right as Sephiroth carries him.

“Don't speak.” Sephiroth's smooth voice is laced with so much concern. Vincent has never heard Sephiroth so worried. Conserve your energy while I get you out of here.”

As Sephiroth adjusts his prince on his back, he feels a heavy weight on the junction connecting his shoulder and neck. He freezes for a brief moment, expecting the worst, but is relived to feel Vincent's warm breath tickling his neck.


End file.
